[Rheumatoid arthritis-associated bronchiolitis successfully treated with erythromycin].
A 52-year-old man with a 4-year history of rheumatoid arthritis, and who had an episode of suspected BOOP in early 1994, was admitted to our hospital because of cough and fever. A chest X-ray film on admission showed small patchy infiltrates, and a computed tomographic (CT) scan showed centrilobular nodules and patchy infiltrates with thickened broncho-vascular bundles in both lungs. Transbronchial and thoracoscopic lung biopsies disclosed the coexistence of interstitial pneumonia with BOOP pattern, follicular bronchiolitis, and diffuse panbronchiolitis-like purulent and obliterative bronchiolitis. Due to findings of chronic sinusitis, the patient was treated with erythromycin for 8 weeks, and the abnormal CT shadows regressed. This was an interesting case of various pulmonary lesions associated with rheumatoid arthritis, and successfully treated with erythromycin.
Matsui
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Faculty of Medicine, Japan.
Yamashita
N
N
Narukawa
M
M
Hayashi
R
R
Yoshida
Y
Y
Arai
N
N
Maruyama
M
M
Kobayashi
M
M
Kitagawa
M
M
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin