Epidemiology of interstitial lung-disease (ild) in flanders - registration by pneumologists in 1992-1994

SummaryWorldwide almost no epidemiologic data are available on the prevalence orincidence of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) in the general population. Therefore, a registration programme of ILD-prevalence was organised by the VRGT (Vercniging voor Respiratoire Gezondheidszorg en Tuberculosebestrijding), among about 100 Flemish pneumologists since 1990.Most categories of the classification by Crystal et al. (1) were included and the diagnostic criteria (histology, laboratory tests, clinic, radiology) were registered. The present paper presents the results of 1992–1994: twenty pneumologists had forwarded the summary files of 237 patients to the central office in 1992 (n=68), 1993 (n=90) and 1994 (n=79).The diagnoses that were most frequently made were: sarcoidosis in 27%, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 20%, hypersensitivity pneumonitis in 14% (of which 68% by birds) and collagen-vascular disease in 10% (of which 54% in rheumatoid arthritis). Less frequent causes were eosinophilic pneumonia (4%), inhalat...