Abstract
For a long time, interstitial lung disease was a static affair. Mainly in the area of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the treatment options were considerably limited if not nonexistent.
In recent years, however, dramatic changes have occurred in this group of illnesses, whether they are newly recognized clinicopathological entities (pleuropulmonary fibroelastosis) and the related adjustments to the classification of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, or changes in the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic lung fibrosis, the most severe condition in this group. There have also been developments in the knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of interstitial lung disease, meaning more chances to discover new molecular structures for targeted therapy of these illnesses.
To those of us who care for patients with interstitial lung disease, all such advances are a positive sign for future efforts to improve care for these patients in the Czech Republic.