30 – Gender-Specific Considerations in Interstitial Lung Disease

This chapter discusses interstitial lung diseases (ILD) from the perspective of gender predisposition, and summarizes symptoms, etiology, and prevalence of several ILDs. Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a devastating disease affecting predominantly women of childbearing age. Pneumoconioses including silicosis, coal workers pneumoconiosis, and asbestosis are more frequently encountered in men than women. This is probably related to the fact that exposure to dusts and minerals occurs in occupations in which men are more often employed as compared to women. Connective tissue associated ILD occur more commonly in women, which is a fact likely related to the higher incidence of autoimmune disease in women in general. Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease that usually affects young adults. It affects females slightly more than males and its predominant symptoms may vary between the genders. There was a male predominance in Langerhans cell histiocytosis, but now the male and female incidence of the disease appears comparable. This may be related to the fact that more women smoke cigarettes now than previously.