title: [A high-resolution computed tomographic study of the pulmonary interstitium in systemic autoimmune diseases].
abstract: This study was aimed at assessing the diagnostic capabilities of radiologic imaging in systemic autoimmune diseases. Forty-one patients (37 women and 4 men, mean age: 57.9 years, range: 37-73) were examined: 17 of them had rheumatoid arthritis, 8 Sjögren's syndrome, 11 progressive systemic sclerosis, 3 systemic lupus erythematosus, 1 mixed connective tissue disease and 1 undifferentiated connective tissue disease. The clinical features were compared with chest X-ray and HRCT findings. Functional lung examination (spirometry) was performed in 30 patients and in 22 of them chest X-ray findings could be compared with HRCT results since the examinations were performed on the same day. Seventeen patients complained of dyspnea (41.4%) and CO diffusion was reduced in 53% of the investigated patients. Chest films showed interstitial changes in 14 of 22 patients (63.6%), while HRCT findings were abnormal in 90.2% of the patients. Significant changes in HRCT patterns were detected only in 7 of the patients complaining of dyspnea (41.1%) and in 5 of the patients with reduced CO diffusion. In conclusion, HRCT proved to be much more sensitive than plain chest films. Dyspnea and functional respiratory tests correlated poorly with HRCT findings.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Immunologia Clinica, Spedali Civili, Brescia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lodi Rizzini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tosoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robecchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franzini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Superti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergonzini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
vernacular_title: Studio con tomografia computerizzata con alta risoluzione dell'interstizio polmonare in alcune malattie autoimmuni sistemiche.