[Romanian national registry for interstitial lung diseases and sarcoidosis (REGIS): rationale and methods]

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of extremely heterogeneous conditions (over 200), with low prevalence, but in most cases with severe impact on the quality of life and survival of the patients. The ILD group comprises: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, colagen diseases, vasculitis, eosinophilic pneumonia etc. The prevalence of these diseases is unknown in Romania; the accurate diagnosis needs access to special investigations and expertise with this group of diseases. The authors propose the initiation of a National Registry for Interstitial Lung Diseases and Sarcoidosis (REGIS), based on the lessons learned from other national ILD) registries, which should allow building-up an extended clinical expertise in ILD, evaluating epidemiological data, creating an educational platform for young physicians, better understanding of the outcome and prognosis of these diseases, shaping Romanian Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of ILD, using the data base for clinical research. The registry is started as a pilot in two Romanian centres: "Marius Nasta" Institute of Pneumology in Bucharest and Pneumology Clinic, "Victor Babey" Infectious Diseases Hospital Timişoara. After refining the inclusion criteria for the data base, editing guidelines for ILD diagnosis and launching the registry website, other Romanian centres with interest in ILD will also be able to feed information.