CHILDHOOD INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE: A DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE FOR THE PEDIATRICIAN

Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) is represented by a very heterogenous group of rare genetic and lung development disorders that are distinct from those described in adult pulmonology (1,2). Even complete understanding is still limited, advances in classification have been recently made (3). The term of ILD (interstitial lung disease) is nonspecific and describes features of remodeling of the lung interstitium and distal airspaces. A systematic approach to diagnosis is needed, that includes careful history and physical examination, exclusion of common conditions presenting with similar features and early referral to expert centers (1). Timely diagnosis is important for patient management and prognosis, even effective and standardized interventions are often lacking. One of the more recent described disorders, neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI), will be presented with emphasis on clinical recognition