Expert consensus on interstitial lung disease associated with systemic autoimmune diseases. Executive summary

Abstract

Interstitial lung disease is a frequent and potentially fatal manifestation of systemic autoimmune diseases. Early screening, diagnosis, and treatment with immunomodulators, and in some cases, antifibrotics, as well as appropriate follow-up, are essential to improving patients’ quality of life and survival. The complexity of these diseases and the limited robust evidence to guide clinical decision-making lead to significant variability in management guidelines. In this article, a group of experts in systemic autoimmune diseases has developed recommendations for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of interstitial lung disease, considering the latest evidence, their clinical experience, and the results of a survey conducted among specialists. The diseases included are systemic sclerosis, Sjögren's disease, idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, ANCA-associated vasculitis, sarcoidosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.