Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonia

A rare idiopathic interstitial pneumonia characterized by temporally uniform alveolar and interstitial mononuclear cell inflammation (cellular type) and/or fibrosis of the alveolar walls (fibrotic type) with preserved alveolar architecture. Other types of interstitial lung disease must be excluded. Symptoms are non-specific and include dyspnea, cough, and often constitutional symptoms such as fever and fatigue. Pulmonary function test reveals a restrictive pattern. Computed tomography shows predominantly lower lobe subpleural reticular changes, traction bronchiectasis, and ground-glass opacities. The cellular type of the disease is less common but carries a better prognosis.