Interstitial lung abnormalities | Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis

Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) are not a disease, but they can be an early sign of lung disease developing. Many people with ILAs will not develop lung disease, but it's important that everyone keeps their lungs healthy and knows the symptoms of lung disease.

What are interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs)?

Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) are changes seen on a CT scan of the lung. These changes can show inflammation and/or scarring (fibrosis). ILAs are not a disease but can be an early sign of lung disease developing.

How common are ILAs?

ILAs are common. We estimate that up to 1 in 15 adults who have a CT scan of their chest will have an ILA.

Are there any risk factors for ILAs?

You may be more likely to have ILAs if you:

are over 60 years old
are a man
smoke (continuing to smoke is likely to make ILAs worse)
have body mass index (BMI) over 30
have a close family member with interstitial lung disease (ILD)
have been exposed to substances that can irritate the lungs (for example, asbestos or dust from birds)

Do ILAs cause symptoms?

No, ILAs do not cause symptoms and are often found incidentally. This means your healthcare team was investigating something else when they found an ILA. People may experience symptoms unrelated to the ILA, such as another lung condition or illness.

Do ILAs change over time?

For some people, ILAs go away over time. For example, if they were caused by a minor infection which would naturally get better. In other cases, ILAs will continue to be seen on further scans. This is particularly likely if the ILAs contain scar tissue (fibrosis).

ILAs progress (get worse) in about 1 in 4 people. These people may develop ILD, a disease associated with inflammation and/or scarring in the lungs.

Is there any treatment for ILAs?

ILAs are not considered a disease, so there is no treatment.

How are ILAs monitored?

Your local respiratory team will decide how to monitor your ILAs. This will depend on the extent and type of ILAs seen on the scan. If you are monitored, you might have lung function tests and further CT scans. Your respiratory team decides the type and frequency of tests. Some people may not need any tests or follow-up.

I have an ILA. What do I do now?

Keep your lungs healthy

It's important for everyone, whether they have ILAs or not, to keep their lungs healthy.

Know the symptoms of lung disease

The most common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are shortness of breath (feeling out of breath) and/or a cough that doesn't go away. You should tell your GP or respiratory team if you have these symptoms, as they may be a sign of pulmonary fibrosis or another lung disease.

Speak to your healthcare team

We understand you might have questions or concerns if you are told you have an ILA. Please contact your local respiratory team to find out more about ILAs and your lung health.

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Information provided by Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis (APF) is not a substitute for professional medical advice. It’s intended as general information only. APF is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for any loss or damage suffered by users resulting from the information published on actionpf.org.