Rheumatoid arthritis and the pulmonary nodule.
The potential difficulties offered by the presence of a solitary pulmonary nodule in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis are illustrated by a male non-smoker with clinical, serologic and radiographic rheumatoid arthritis, active and fibrosing alveolitis and a new lung nodule. This nodule proved to be squamous cell carcinoma without the typical risk factors. The findings of a solitary pulmonary density or nodule in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis provides no assurance that the lesion is benign. Both necrobiotic nodules and lung cancer may present as solitary pulmonary nodules in patients with this autoimmune disease.
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D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed