Therapeutic effect of nintedanib on acute exacerbation of interstitial lung diseases

Although the development of new antifibrotic agents (pirfenidone, nintedanib) has modified the disease progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), there is still no effective treatment for acute exacerbation of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) including IPF. We herein report a case of acute exacerbation of ILD (AE-ILD) treated only with nintedanib without any environmental changes and any other medications such as corticosteroid therapy, diuretic and anti-biotics, which resulted in the gradual improvement of the patient's clinical symptoms, high-resolution computed tomography findings, and forced vital capacity. This case might suggest the possibility that nintedanib not only modifies the disease progression of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), but also facilitate the recovery from the acute exacerbation of ILD.