Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis.
Bronchiolitis obliterans, with or without organizing pneumonia, can be a serious and life-threatening complication of rheumatoid arthritis. We describe a case of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in a patient who recently developed rheumatoid arthritis, presenting as a severe respiratory insufficiency. Diagnosis was made by means of open lung biopsy. Treatment with corticosteroids induced a quick response and substantial improvement of the respiratory symptoms. A simultaneous strong rise in titres of serological tests suggests a relationship between the bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia and the rheumatoid arthritis.
van Thiel
R J
RJ
Dept. of Pulmonary Diseases, Diakonessenhuis Groningen, The Netherlands.
van der Burg
S
S
Groote
A D
AD
Nossent
G D
GD
Wills
S H
SH
D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D001706:Biopsy; D001989:Bronchiolitis Obliterans / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011859:Radiography
D011239:Prednisolone