The University of Minnesota ILD clinic is a center of excellence for ILD care, designated by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation as a Care Center Network site.We are a comprehensive clinic that focuses on providing cutting edge and patient-focused care to our patients.  Our pulmonologists and nurses are experts in caring for ILD patients.  We aim to improve symptoms and quality of life and provide opportunities for participation in support group and research studies.  Our patients come to our ILD clinic from Minnesota, the Midwest and around the country. We discuss our weekly multidisciplinary meetings with thoracic radiology and pulmonary pathology, and a consensus on diagnosis and an updated treatment plan is reached. We offer a direct ILD clinic nursing line and MyChart access to help answer our patients’ ILD questions and address symptomatic concerns. 

Our ILD providers include dedicated physicians, ILD nurse coordinators, ILD clinic coordinator and ILD study coordinators.  Our goal is to guide and support patients through their ILD journey.

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Categories Related to this Condition

Autoimmune ILDs:

Also known as connective tissue disease associated ILDs, a situation where the immune system is attacking lung tissue as part of the disease process. This is typically a part of a more complex autoimmune disease where multiple organs are being attacked. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis, the joints, skin, eyes and lungs can all be involved in the same patient. Another example is scleroderma, where the immune system can attack the skin, kidneys, heart, and lungs. Other diseases include myositis, Sjogrens, antisynthetase syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, lupus, and undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis:

This is a disease characterized by reaction to some environmental agents such as agricultural dust and bird droppings, causing lung inflammation in predisposed individuals who inhale the suspected exposure. The inflammation can be rapid onset over days or weeks or can be a longstanding disease of several years to decades of progressive scarring of the lungs.

Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias:

This composes a large subgroup of ILD, which includes IPF, and some other rare diseases. IPF is characterized by progressive lung scarring, typically after the age of 60, without a specific cause being identified. Antifibrotics, are commonly used to slow down disease progress. Other modalities of treatment including pulmonary rehabilitation are implemented.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis:

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease that causes scarring in the lungs.   IPF is the most common of the interstitial lung diseases, but also the most serious.  The scarring is permanent and leads to symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough and decreased energy.  Treatment is aimed at slowing down the scarring in the lungs.  Our ILD clinic is designed to help patients with IPF navigate the complex decisions about treatment, quality of life, lung transplantation and participation in studies.   We’re also very active in looking for better treatments and ways to improve quality of life. 

Occupational Interstitial Lung Disease:

We also see patients with interstitial ling diseases related to environmental or occupational exposures. This can include patients with lung disease due to asbestos or silica exposure as well has hypersensitivity pneumonitis related to occupational exposures.

Sarcoidosis: 

Sarcoidosis is a condition caused by the collection of inflammatory cells, known as granulomas, in the lungs, lymph nodes, heart, brain or spinal cord, skin, eyes, and other parts of your body. Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, painful sores on your shins, eye pain, and redness. 

Research

Treatment of ILD is improving, but many gaps remain. Our ILD program is actively involved in studying ILD natural history and quality of life and contributing to collective knowledge on these rare diseases. We also provide opportunities for people to participate in research if they choose. We participate in many clinical trials that are designed to investigate new medications to help improve therapeutic options for ILD patients. We also engage in multi-center national registries that collect data for all ILDs so that we can broaden our knowledge base. Lastly, we engage in new research projects designed by our ILD faculty to investigate different aspects of ILD care.