Abstract
Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most common idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, with incidence and prevalence figures varying worldwide because of the inconsistent way of collecting cases in different studies. There are no published figures on the epidemiology of IPF in Chile or Latin America. It is relevant to know them because of the health burden of patients with IPF and the recent approval for treatment purposes of high cost antifibrotic drugs. The objective of this study was to develop a clinical registry of patients with IPF treated by Chilean pulmonologists from different regions of the country, using the diagnostic means they usually use in real life. Patients and Methods: An online electronic survey was designed by the group of diffuse pulmonary diseases of the “Instituto Nacional del Torax” to register patients with diagnosis of IPF from June 2015 to June 2017 according to ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT criteria. Results: 40 of the 200 invited pulmonologists sent IPF cases from the country’s 13 regions, completing a total of 700 patients. 2/3 were old cases, a similar number of men and women, 73% had definitive UIP pattern in CT, the majority were patients over 60 years old and in only 16% biopsy was requested for diagnosis. Conclusions: A register of 700 cases represents a very important number of patients with IPF in Chile that allows us to approach the characterization of the cohort and to strengthen a network of specialists dedicated to the care of these patients and their families.
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