title: Significance of ground-glass opacity on HRCT in long-term follow-up of patients with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: Despite little supportive evidence, ground-glass opacity at high-resolution computed tomography, without other signs of fibrosis, has been equated with potentially reversible disease, and in systemic sclerosis, frequently prompts aggressive anti-inflammatory treatment to prevent pulmonary fibrosis. Our study evaluates ground-glass opacity on sequential high-resolution computed tomography in 41 patients with systemic sclerosis over a mean follow-up period of 27 months (r6 to 60 mo). Ground-glass opacity was the most common imaging finding, present in 66%, and usually associated with other signs of interstitial disease, including nonfibrotic interstitial opacities in 27% and fibrotic interstitial opacities in 32%. Improvement was only documented in 2(5%) patients with ground glass and nonfibrotic interstitial opacities. In systemic sclerosis, ground-glass opacity is most commonly associated with irreversible disease. Disease progression or improvement could not be predicted by the presence of ground-glass opacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. shahr@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Rosita M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wechsler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013995:Time; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*