Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease: Updates in Pathophysiology and Management

Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) is a group of distinct inflammatory-fibrotic diseases with varied causes, clinical presentations, and outcomes. Complex pathogenesis, patient heterogeneity, and nonspecificity of diagnostic techniques make its management challenging. In the past decade, there have been marked advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of and management options for DPLD, especially through multidisciplinary collaboration, which has improved the accuracy of diagnosis and aided in personalized treatment strategies, thereby improving patient outcomes. The management of DPLD includes specific therapeutic options, which vary based on the underlying etiology and disease pattern, such as antifibrotics for progressive fibrotic diseases, as well as common strategies focusing on disease monitoring and management of symptoms and comorbidities. This review discusses updates in epidemiology, classification, pathophysiology, and management as well as ongoing research exploring new diagnostic and therapeutic options for different DPLD subtypes.