Interstitial lung diseases very often do not only affect the lung tissue, but are part of multisystem diseases. Awareness of their classification and differential diagnosis therefore does not belong only to respiratory departments, but shall be acknowledged by all specialisations. It is obvious that the approach to a patient with life-threatening disease or acute onset of symptoms differently then patients with slow disease onset or "accidentally" detected lung abnormalities. The presented manuscript brings a differential diagnostic approach to facilitate orientation in the field of interstitial ling diseases.

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