Ultimately, referral to a dedicated interstitial lung disease center for expert evaluation and multidisciplinary discussion may be warranted to sift through these difficult situations, especially as the field of research grows more robust. In any event, the future for patients with these diseases, though still challenged, is brighter than before.
Dr. Kershaw is Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is the current section editor for Pulmonary
Perpsectives®and Vice Chair of the Interstitial and Diffuse Lung Disease NetWork at CHEST.