Figure 3

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) 'idiopathic' exacerbation. (a-c) High-resolution computed tomography in an IPF patient at three different parenchymal levels shows diffuse areas of ground-glass attenuation, bronchiolectasis, and honeycombing. The patient was a 71-year-old male physician recently diagnosed with IPF. He was self-administering high-dose oral corticosteroids for months and presented severe deterioration of dyspnea and cough and developed severe acute respiratory failure. Despite empirical treatment with broad-spectrum antimicrobials, he deteriorated and was intubated. He died in the intensive care unit 4 weeks later. Extensive work-up disclosed no causative factors.