Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with GoogleGet your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
Is Chronic Cough A Sign Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Sir...m suffering from chronic cough for the last 9 months...initially started as a dry cough but turned productive for last 2 months...recent HRCT with CECT suuggests subpleural fibrotic densities in left upper lobe anterior segment....the various clincal blood and sputum tests do not reveal any form of acute or chronic infections....m provisionally being treated as a case of cough variant asthma for the last 4 months...symptoms have not been alleviated yet....can it be a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Fri, 19 Feb 2021
Hi,
The CT suggestion of subpleural scarring can be due to various conditions including pulmonary fibrosis. The other conditions are post tuberculosis / pneumonia, sarcoidosis , scarring associated with exposure to chemicals and toxins like asbestosis seen in people working in asbestos industry or pneumoconiosis associated with coal mining etc. If there is no such exposure to any such chemical or toxin and also there is no history of tuberculosis or pneumonia in the past, then you can rule the other causes out.
The cause of productive cough could be a secondary infection however you have been tested for that. Pl check if a sputum culture has been done for you or not to rule it out. Asthma should get confirmed in pulmonary function tests which a simple test and can be done at any pulmonology center and also would lead to some amount of wheezing while breathing and also cause breathlessness during exertion if not present at rest. It doesn't explain the fibrosis found in your lungs. Pl get a lung biopsy done to confirm the diagnosis at the earliest.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Anoop Kumar, General & Family Physician
The CT suggestion of subpleural scarring can be due to various conditions including pulmonary fibrosis. The other conditions are post tuberculosis / pneumonia, sarcoidosis , scarring associated with exposure to chemicals and toxins like asbestosis seen in people working in asbestos industry or pneumoconiosis associated with coal mining etc. If there is no such exposure to any such chemical or toxin and also there is no history of tuberculosis or pneumonia in the past, then you can rule the other causes out.
The cause of productive cough could be a secondary infection however you have been tested for that. Pl check if a sputum culture has been done for you or not to rule it out. Asthma should get confirmed in pulmonary function tests which a simple test and can be done at any pulmonology center and also would lead to some amount of wheezing while breathing and also cause breathlessness during exertion if not present at rest. It doesn't explain the fibrosis found in your lungs. Pl get a lung biopsy done to confirm the diagnosis at the earliest.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Anoop Kumar, General & Family Physician
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
Related questions you may be interested in
Loading Online Doctors....