ABSTRACT
The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIP) are a heterogeneous group of pul-
monary diseases that share a general though not universal propensity for the
insidious development of chronic and progressive lung injury. Acute interstitial
pneumonia (AIP) is unique among the IIP with its rapid onset, early respiratory
failure, and high initial case fatality ratio. Survivors of the initial insult have a
more favorable long-term prognosis than the most common of the IIP, idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A rare disease, our current knowledge of AIP is limited
and is derived mostly from observational studies of small case series.
