Screening for pulmonary fibrosis means to test for the presence of signs of lung scarring before symptoms become apparent, to diagnose and treat interstitial lung disease early.

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Some groups of people may be at higher risk of having pulmonary fibrosis: - those diagnosed with a connective tissue disease (autoimmune conditions, such as systemic sclerosis, inflammatory myositis, rheumatoid arthritis etc.) - people with a strong family history of interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis- those with environmental exposures to dusts, asbestos, mould etc. or those in certain professions (e.g. farmers)Early pulmonary fibrosis is often only detectable on chest CT scans, and deciding who should have such a scan is usually related to the risk factors above. References related to the topic of this episode: 1. Joy GM, Arbiv OA, Wong CK, Lok SD, Adderley NA, Dobosz KM, Johannson KA, Ryerson CJ. Prevalence, imaging patterns and risk factors of interstitial lung disease in connective tissue disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Respir Rev. 2023 Mar 8;32(167):220210. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0210-2022. PMID: 36889782; PMCID: PMC10032591.2. Borie R, Kannengiesser C, Antoniou K, Bonella F, Crestani B, Fabre A, Froidure A, Galvin L, Griese M, Grutters JC, Molina-Molina M, Poletti V, Prasse A, Renzoni E, van der Smagt J, van Moorsel CHM. European Respiratory Society statement on familial pulmonary fibrosis. Eur Respir J. 2023 Mar 16;61(3):2201383. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01383-2022. PMID: 36549714.3. Hunninghake GM, Quesada-Arias LD, Carmichael NE, Martinez Manzano JM, Poli De Frías S, Baumgartner MA, DiGianni L, Gampala-Sagar SN, Leone DA, Gulati S, El-Chemaly S, Goldberg HJ, Putman RK, Hatabu H, Raby BA, Rosas IO. Interstitial Lung Disease in Relatives of Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2020 May 15;201(10):1240-1248. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201908-1571OC. PMID: 32011908; PMCID: PMC7233344.#pulmonaryfibrosis #ild