Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
Patient Condition
The patient sought medical treatment due to pulmonary abnormalities found during physical examination and suffered from shortness of breath after mild exercise. HRCT showed double lower lungs with honeycomb and grid shadows. Lung function: FVC 70% predicted, DLCO 55% predicted. 6MWD 420m, mMRC score 1. IPF (early stage) was diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy.
Treatment Timeline
| Phase | Details | Date |
|---|---|---|
| diagnostic assessment | ||
| treatment initiation | ||
| Standardized treatment (months 1-12) | ||
| Maintenance treatment (Months 13-18) |
Treatment Outcome
| before | FVC accounts for 70% of predicted value, DLCO accounts for 55% of predicted value, 6MWD 420m, mMRC score 1, GAP score 2 (Phase 1) |
|---|---|
| after | After 18 months of treatment, FVC accounted for 67% of the predicted value (annual decline rate of approximately 2%), DLCO accounted for 52% of the predicted value, 6MWD 430m, and mMRC score 1 |
| highlight | After 18 months of treatment with nintedanib in early IPF patients, the annual FVC decline rate was only 2%, and the disease was almost stable, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment |