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Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

What is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious lung disease. It occurs when the tissue around air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs gets thick and stiff. This makes it harder to breathe. Over time this stiff tissue causes permanent scarring in the lungs, which is called fibrosis.(1)

Other condition names

  • CFA
  • Cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis
  • UIP
  • Usual interstitial pneumonia

Inheritance type

Multigenic/multifactorial

Prevalence

  • Europe: 1-5 in 10,000

Age of Onset

  • Adult

  1. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Available at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/idiopathic-pulmonary-fibrosis. Accessed 6/9/2022.

Orphadata: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Available on "https://www.orphadata.com". Data version 1.3.16 / 4.1.7.