Speaking of the “Devil”: Diagnostic Errors in Interstitial Lung Diseases
Raluca Ioana Arcana, Radu Crișan-Dabija, Bogdan Caba, Alexandra-Simona Zamfir, Andrei Tudor Cernomaz, Andreea Zabara-Antal, Mihai Zabara, Ștefăniță Arcana, Dragoș Traian Marius Marcu, Antigona Trofor
Abstract
Interstitial lung diseases are respiratory diseases, which affect the normal lung parenchyma and can lead to significant pulmonary fibrosis, chronic respiratory failure, pulmonary hypertension, and ultimately death. Reuniting more than 200 entities, interstitial lung diseases pose a significant challenge to the clinician, as they represent rare diseases with vague and insidious respiratory symptoms. As such, there are many diagnostic errors that can appear along the journey of the patient with ILD, which leads to significant delays with implications for the prognosis and the quality of life of the patient.