Pulmonary fibrosis is a component of over 200 interstitial lung diseases. Some have known
etiologies, however, for many diseases, the etiology remains unknown or obscure. This brief
review examines the prevalence and classification of these diseases, the approach to be
taken for the investigation of a patient suspected of having pulmonary fibrosis, the
indications for the performance of lung biopsy, and current thoughts concerning the
pathogenesis of the idiopathic forms of fibrotic lung disease. A brief review of established …