title: Giant cell arteritis can be associated with T4-lymphocytic alveolitis.
abstract: We describe three patients with histologically proven giant cell arteritis who presented with respiratory complaints. In one patient, dry cough and dyspnoea dominated the clinical picture. In the other two patients, a diagnosis of giant cell arteritis was readily suspected by the presence of typical complaints, although both patients spontaneously mentioned a persistent cough and dyspnoea, respectively. Radiographs of the chest were normal. Lung function tests, including a carbon monoxide (CO)-diffusion capacity measurement, were always normal. Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid examination showed a normal cell count but an increased number of lymphocytes (16-61%) with a predominance of T4-lymphocytes (65.5-84.5%). We conclude that respiratory complaints and T4-lymphocytic alveolitis can be associated with giant cell arteritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blockmans
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knockaert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bobbaers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed