► ILD Procedures/Treatments | Appointments/Patient Referrals

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of lung conditions that have in common a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis) thought to be caused by injury and inflammation. The most common symptoms of ILD are shortness of breath with exertion and a dry cough.

Causes of ILD

• Environmental exposure (asbestosis, metal dust, wood dust, fumes and gases)
• Connective Tissue Disease (scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis)
• Drug Toxicity (chemotherapy, radiation)
• Infections
• Inherited causes (familial diseases)
• Unknown (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM))

Black Lung | Lymphangioleiomyomatosis | Sarcoidosis | Wegener's Granulomatosis | Tuberculosis

The University Of Louisville Interstitial Lung Disease Program is made up of a team of expert physicians, nurses, and scientists dedicated to the advancement of medical knowledge and treatment of ILD for patients in the Kentucky-Indiana region of the United States.

The ILD Program promotes a "Team Approach"

• Pulmonary Physicians
• Radiologists
• Pathologists
• Thoracic Surgeons
• Lung Transplantation Experts
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Clinical Investigators
• Basic Scientists

Research is an essential part of the ILD Program. It is through research that our knowledge and understanding of ILD will enable us to discover better ways to prevent and/or treat these disabling lung diseases.

Clinicians and researchers in the ILD Program are well-known nationally and internationally and are supported by various distinguished sources such as the National Institutes of Health and the American Lung Association.

Clinical Trials have an impact on the health care management of people with ILD. Individuals who receive care in the University of Louisville Healthcare system have many opportunities to participate in clinical trials.