Interstitial lung disease occurs as a result of various factors. It can be a by-product of other disease conditions. Some of the known causes of ILD are:
- rheumatoid arthritis
- systemic lupus erythematosus (a-rith-a-ma-toe-sus) scleroderma
- problems on the job such as breathing gases, fumes, or dust
- drugs such as chemotherapy medications and radiation therapy
Sometimes the cause of ILD is unknown; this includes idiopathic (id-ee-oh-path-ik [meaning the cause is unknown]) pulmonary fibrosis or sarcoidosis (sar-coy-do-ses).
