Abstract
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an inflammatory and fibrotic infiltrative process
of the lung that is often associated with collagen vascular disease in women. Untreated,
it results in collagen deposition in the lung interstitium that can lead to a slow
suffocating death. Pregnancy planning is often not discussed with women who have ILD
due to concerns about potentially aggravating the disease process, or due to lack
of knowledge about the safety of medications used to treat ILD. With improved understanding
of the pathophysiology of both autoimmune disease and ILD, it has become clear that
safe, planned pregnancies are possible in most women with ILD. In this article, our
aim is to review diagnosis, treatment, and disease course of ILD in women who are
planning a pregnancy or are pregnant. Better understanding of the disease process
and knowledge of safe treatments will likely lead to improved pregnancy planning in
women with ILD.
Keywords
interstitial lung disease - pregnancy - connective tissue disease - collagen vascular
disease - teratogenic
