Diffuse Lung Disease

Diffused lung disease (DLD), commonly encompassing various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), represents a diverse group of disorders characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the lung parenchyma. The clinical implications of DLD are significant, as these conditions can lead to varying degrees of respiratory impairment and affect the quality of life of patients (Lindell, 2018; Johnson et al., 2017). Primary care clinicians play a crucial role in the early detection and management of DLD. This introduction aims to outline what primary care clinicians need to know regarding DLD, including its classification, diagnostic procedures, management strategies, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach.

Firstly, understanding the broad spectrum of conditions classified under Diffuse Lung Diseases (DLD) is fundamental. In adults, classification systems such as the ATS/ERS guidelines for idiopathic interstitial pneumonias provide a framework for categorizing DLDs, which include both distinct entities and syndromes with overlapping features (Raghu et al., 2018; Travis et al., 2013). Major types encountered in primary care include pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In contrast, pediatric DLDs (classified under the chILD framework) encompass distinct entities such as surfactant dysfunction disorders and developmental lung anomalies (Hime et al., 2015; Fan et al., 2015). Regardless of age, many...