Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis.
This is a prospective study analyzing 52 asymptomatic, consecutive patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), who submitted to a pulmonary investigation that included plain chest radiography, pulmonary function test (PFT), and thoracic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). The results were compared according to sex, race, dorsal spine involvement, thoracic diameter, smoking status, and HLA-B27. There were four patients (8%) with an altered plain chest radiograph. PFT presented a restrictive pattern in 52% of the patients. Thoracic HRCT showed abnormalities in 21 patients (40%), predominantly nonspecific linear parenchymal opacities (19%), lymphadenopathy (12%), emphysema (10%), bronchiectasis (8%), and pleural involvement (8%). Linear parenchymal opacities were associated with a smoking history (p=0.026) and dorsal spine involvement (p=0.032). HLA-B27 was not associated with any abnormality. A lower thoracic diameter was observed in patients with dorsal spine involvement (p=0.0001), restrictive pattern at PFT (p=0.023), and linear parenchymal opacities (p=0.015). The study concluded that nonspecific subclinical pulmonary involvement is frequent in AS.
Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, State University of Campinas Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM / UNICAMP), Barão Geraldo, Campinas SP, CEP 13081-970, Brazil. psbarros@fcm.unicamp.br
Percival D
PD
Sampaio-Barros
Elza Maria F P
EM
Cerqueira
Sílvio M
SM
Rezende
Lucimara
L
Maeda
Roseneide A
RA
Conde
Verônica A
VA
Zanardi
Manoel Barros
MB
Bértolo
José Ribeiro
JR
de Menezes Neto
Adil M
AM
Samara
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed