Hundreds of diseases that cause scarring or inflammation in your lungs are known as interstitial lung disease (ILD)—also called pulmonary fibrosis. All of these diseases make it more difficult to ...

With interstitial lung disease, inflammation causes fibrosis (scarring), and the alveoli walls become thick and stiff, making it harder to move oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of your lungs.

Children diagnosed with interstitial lung disease often survive into adulthood, when they are likely to need care for related impairments.