Background: Immunosuppressive therapy has been-until the recent release of new guidelines on diagnosis and management-the recommended treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, its efficacy in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has always been a matter of debate.
Case presentation: We report the occurrence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a white man receiving chronic immunosuppressive treatment following a heart transplant.
Conclusions: This case report suggests that the immune mechanisms targeted by azathioprine and cyclosporine do not play a role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Keywords: Heart transplantation; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Immunosuppressant; Steroids; Treatment.