A Hospital-Based Observational Study on the Clinical Spectrum of Interstitial Lung Diseases

Introduction: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a diverse group of diffuse parenchymal lung disorders of varying aetiology, which cause considerable morbidity and mortality. These conditions include IPF, CTD-ILD, HP, sarcoidosis as well as other much less common forms. The ILDs constitute a significant group of diseases, with high morbidity and impaired quality of life, and are associated with increased health care usage. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical features, radiological patterns, pulmonary function, and comorbidities of ILD subjects at a tertiary hospital. Materials and Methods: The study was an observational hospital-based recruiting 70 consecutive patients with ILD from January 2024 until July 2025. The following factors were assessed: clinical characteristics, demographic information, pulmonary function, radiological pattern, and comorbid diseases. Inclusion criteria were adults older than 18 years with ILD diagnosed based on HRCT and discussed by a multidisciplinary team. Patients with active pulmonary infections, a history of malignancy, or incomplete data were excluded. Results: The mean age was 56.8 ± 11.4 years; 60% were female. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was the most common subtype (34.3%), followed by connective tissue disease-associated ILD (CTD-ILD) (28.6%), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) (18.6%), and sarcoidosis (11.4%). Dyspnea (92.9%) and cough (85.7%) were predominant symptoms. HRCT showed a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern in 38.6% and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) in 27.1%. Mean FVC% predicted was 62.4 ± 12.8, and DLCO% was 48.6 ± 13.2. Comorbidities included systemic hypertension (32.9%) and diabetes mellitus (25.7%). Conclusion: IPF and CTD-ILD were the most common ILD subtypes. Dyspnea and cough were the predominant clinical manifestations, and UIP was the most prevalent HRCT pattern. Early ILD identification is imperative in order to improve patient outcomes.