Which ILD is most likely?

[SCarolinaGirls]

I am a 34 y.o. African American female non smoker (though I have had exposure to second hand smoke for much of my life as my parents and grandparents smoke). I have had a recurrent (mostly during winter) chronic cough for about three years. Totally asymptomatic otherwise. Only known health issues are clinical depression (treated with 300mg/day of Wellbutrin SR) and anemia. No known genetic dispositions (unless you count a maternal grandmother with asthma and lung cancer), no prior exposure to toxic chemicals, no diagnosed connective tissue disorders, no pet birds. I am usually able to manage it with OTC Mucinex DM, but not this time. I have been back and forth to doctors (internal medicine and pulmonary) for the last six weeks or so and treated unsuccessfully with various medications - Advair 500/50, Albuterol, Prilosec, Allegra D, Nasacort, Tussionex, a steroid shot, Levaquin and most recently, Prednisone (starting at 40mg/day - 20mg X 2, now tapered to 10mg). Last week, they did a CT chest scan, and it indicated some "subpleural macrocystic change with some associated subpleural interstitial thickening. There are no
particular areas of ground-glass opacity."

My pulmonologist had my blood tested yesterday for a number of corrective tissue disorders, and I'm waiting to hear the results on that. Monday I will have a bronchoscopy.

My pulmonologist diagnosed ILD. Since I know is sort of a class of over 100 different disorders/conditions, I am wondering if you could offer some possibilities for the diagnosis and prognosis I may be facing.

Thanks.

[National Jewish Health]

From what you have written it seems that you are very knowledgeable about interstitial lung disease (ILD).  I’m sure that you understand that it is impossible for a diagnosis to be made through a forum.  At a minimum our doctors would need to look at your CT images.  Of course until a diagnosis is made it is impossible to determine your prognosis.

Please contact LUNG LINE® either through the website of National Jewish Medical and Research Center at http://www.nationaljewish.org or by calling (800) 222 LUNG (5864), if you would like to pursue this further.