Interstitial Lung Disease

Interstitial lung disease is a classification covering more than 200 types of lung disorders, all of which affect the interstitium, or the area surrounding the air sacs. Most of the disorders cause a thickening of the interstitium, generally resulting from excess mucous, inflammation, and scarring. The progressive scarring of lung tissue eventually interferes with the ability to breathe by reducing the intake of oxygen. Some of the disorders also may affect blood vessels, airways to the lungs, the outside lining of the lungs (called the pleura), and even the air sacs themselves. A wide range of causes are associated with these lung disorders, including bacteria, smoking, asbestos, and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Why UAB

UAB Pulmonary Services is ranked among the best programs of its kind in the nation, and our physicians are consistently listed among the Best Doctors in America for respiratory disease. Most UAB Pulmonary Services doctors are triple board-certified in internal medicine, critical care, and pulmonary medicine. They serve on national boards and specialty organizations, speak at national conferences, publish in scientific and medical journals, and help conduct research that is recognized nationally and internationally. Our physicians are continually seeking new ways to treat lung disease and improve the techniques and care for transplant patients while contributing to the body of knowledge about lung disease. We have the only nationally accredited Sleep Medicine Fellowship Training Program in the state of Alabama.

Many UAB Pulmonary Services physicians carry out research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to gain a better understanding of lung disease and its treatments or help turn new discoveries into therapies. Our physicians have served as presidents of many national societies, including the American College of Chest Physicians, the Association of Subspecialty Professors, and the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors. The excellence of our clinical and research programs has been recognized with our membership in the NIH-funded COPD and IPF Clinical Research networks (COPDnet and IPFnet, respectively), as well as the American Lung Association's Asthma Clinical Research Network and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Therapeutics Development Network.

Images and Videos

UAB nurse, Barbara, diagnosed with cancer in both lungs, is now cancer free and thriving, thanks to treatment from her multi-disciplinary care team at UAB Medicine.

PHYSICIANS

Joseph B. Barney, MD

Gerald B. Belopolsky, MD

Scott E. Buchalter, MD

J. Allen D. Cooper Jr., MD

Jack H. Hasson, MD

John I. Kennedy Jr., MD

Tracy R. Luckhardt, MD, MS

Victor J. Thannickal, MD

Benjamin Wei, MD

RELATED SERVICES

Smoking Cessation

CLINICAL TRIALS

UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial lung disease. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information.

View Clinical Trials