| Study | No of cases | Idiopathic cases | No treated† | Outcome in those treated | ||||
| Remission n (%) | Improved n (%) | No change n (%) | Deteriorated n (%) | Deaths n (%) | ||||
| Liebow429 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 (83%) | 0 | 2 (11%) | 1 (6%)‡ | |
| Gaensler432 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 9 (75%) | 0 | 2 (17%) | 1 (8%)§ |
| Scadding442 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 5 (71%) | 2 (29%) | 0 | 0 |
| Stack443 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 (67%) | 3 (33%) | 0 | 0 |
| Patchefsky444 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 3 (27%) | 3 (27%) | 1 (9%) | 1 (9%) | 3 (27%) |
| Tubbs438 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 3 (14%) | 7 (32%) | 0 | 7 (32%) | 5 (22%)* |
| Carrington305 | 40 | 34 | 26 | 13 (50%) | 3 (12%) | 3 (12%) | 0 | 7 (27%) |
| Hartman305 439 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 6 (55%) | 3 (27%) | 2 (18%) | 0 |
| Akira435 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 (88%) | 0 | 1 (12%) | 0 |
| Nicholson4†† | 13 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 8 (80%)** | 2 (20%) | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 158 | 146 | 134 | 19 (14%) | 69 (51%) | 14 (10%) | 15 (11%) | 17 (12%) |
*Two deaths unrelated to pulmonary disease.
†Untreated patients invariably improved or underwent remission.
‡Postoperative death.
§Death 10 years after onset.
**Three cases of disease relapse but 100% survival at 10 years.
††Classified as desquamative interstitial pneumonia/respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease (DIP/RBILD) in this study.