The structure
Branching airways carry air to the alveoli, where oxygen passes into the blood.
Continue exploring ↗NHLBI · Source ↗PNMG / INTERACTIVE ATLAS / 01
From the lung
to care.
A visual journey through IPF. Scroll through or choose a chapter.
01 / 05 · The structure
Schematic illustration. It does not represent a real scan, precise anatomy or disease-severity stages.
The fibrosis
IPF affects tissue around the alveoli. Scarring and increased stiffness can make breathing harder. Its course differs between people.
Continue exploring ↗NHLBI · Source ↗The measurements
Lung function tests and HRCT provide different information. Your team interprets them alongside history and symptoms.
Continue exploring ↗NHLBI · Source ↗The care
Discuss treatment, tolerability, rehabilitation and oxygen needs. Choices require individual assessment.
Continue exploring ↗NHLBI · Source ↗Everyday life
Your priorities and challenges belong in the consultation. Bring your questions and plan next steps with your team.
Continue exploring ↗NHLBI · Source ↗PNMG / KNOWLEDGE CONSTELLATION / 02
Knowledge has connections.
Choose a topic to illuminate related dimensions of care—educational connections, not a prediction or causal model.
Symptoms
Record what changed, when and its effect on daily life. Breathlessness can have more than one cause.
Open related content ↗Related to
Prefer a simple topic list?
Symptoms ↗FVC / DLCO ↗HRCT ↗Treatments ↗Rehabilitation ↗Oxygen ↗Transplantation ↗PNMG / TEST LENS / 03
What does each test see?
Function, gas transfer, structure and exertion: four different perspectives.
The air you exhale
Volume forcibly exhaled after a full inhalation.
Interpretation limit
Percent predicted is not the percentage of lung remaining.
A question for your consultation
Are the tests comparable, and what does their trend show?
Organise your tests ↗Take the knowledge with you.
Six cards to share ↗Discuss it at your appointment ↗Educational content · sources checked 04 October 2026. It does not replace individual clinical assessment.