The clinical significance of HRCT in evaluation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: a report from China.
The objective of this study is to describe the interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of China, and to study clinical significance of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in evaluation and treatment. One hundred and ten Chinese patients (79 women and 31 man) diagnosed with RA between December 2008 to November 2009 were analyzed. According to the HRCT, 47 (42.73%) RA patients were diagnosed as ILD. Old age, smoking and pulmonary rales were closely related to ILD (P < 0.05). The main appearances of ILD were ground-glass (39.09%), honeycombing (4.55%), reticular patterns and consolidation (1.82%). Patients with reticular patterns and honeycombing were more likely to show the respiratory symptoms. It was also common to find other abnormal changes, such as fiber cord shadow (22.73%), lung markings fuzzy disorder (30%), pulmonary nodules (11.82%), emphysema (9.09%), bronchiectasis (3.64%), subpleural nodules (11.82%) and pleural thickening (24.55%). In treatment, honeycombing and subpleural nodules were more common in patients with methotrexate (MTX) and/or leflunomide treatment than without (P < 0.05). Other abnormal changes were no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Pulmonary involvement is common in RA patients, and it is suggested that HRCT could be a sensitive and useful way in evaluating the lung of RA patients.
Department of Rheumatology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hosptial, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yu-Qiong
YQ
Zou
Ya-Song
YS
Li
Xiao-Nan
XN
Ding
Zhen-Hua
ZH
Ying
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*