Progress in the radiologic diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

To discuss the most recent applications of radiological imaging, from conventional to quantitative, in the setting of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis.

In this article, current concepts on radiological diagnosis of IPF, from high-resolution computed tomography (CT) to other imaging modalities, are reviewed. In a separate section, advances in quantitative CT and development of novel imaging biomarkers, as well as current limitations and future research trends, are described.

Radiological imaging in IPF, particularly quantitative CT, is an evolving field which holds promise in the future to allow for an increasingly accurate disease assessment and prognostication of IPF patients. However, further standardization and validation studies of alternative imaging applications and quantitative biomarkers are needed.