ABSTRACT
The cause of CFA is unknown, but it is characterised by the following points: • the patient is often in their 60s or 70s; • the patient suffers from increasing dry cough; • the patient suffers from increasing breathlessness; • widespread radiographic shadows in the lung fields comprising bilateral
reticular nodular shadowing, mainly in the lower zones, pleural disease being rare;
• widespread fine crepitations, usually at the end of inspiration; • pulmonary fibrosis shows on biopsy (if available); • subpleural fibrosis shows on CT scanning; • finger clubbing may also be present; • restricted ventilatory defect is apparent on lung function tests.
