title: Pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis: multidetector computed tomography findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is common and encompasses a large spectrum of disease with different treatment options and prognoses. Therefore, assessment of these patients with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is vital.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the MDCT pulmonary findings of patients with RA and to compare these findings with the clinical status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chest MDCT scans of 85 patients with RA between 2006-2012 were assessed. One patient with a pulmonary infection was excluded from the study. MDCT findings and distribution of the CT findings were examined, and patients were classified according to the predominant CT pattern. The pulmonary function test (PFT) results and categories, demographic characteristics, and clinical status of some of the patients for whom the results were obtained were evaluated, and the CT findings, PFT results, demographic characteristics, and clinical status were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group consisted of 20 men (mean age, 58.1 years ± 13.1; range, 15-77 years) and 64 women (mean age, 55.3 years ± 11.5; range, 30-84 years). The most frequent findings were nodules (78.6%) and pleural thickening (48.8%). The most common CT patterns were follicular bronchiolitis (FB) in 28 (33.3%) patients and nodular disease (ND) in 12 (14.3%) others. There was no statistically significant difference between the CT findings and PFT results, and no statistically significant difference was noted in the CT findings between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In addition, there were some patients who exhibited no symptoms and/or had abnormal PFT results but had abnormal CT findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with a high frequency of CT findings and CT patterns, with nodules and pleural thickening being the most common CT findings and FB and ND being the most common CT patterns. MDCT identification of patients with RA may be helpful in the evaluation of pulmonary disease, even in patients without symptoms and PFT abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ruken
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuksekkaya
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Celikyay
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inanir
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inonu
authors.forename: Caglar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deniz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D055613:Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
keywords: MDCT; connective tissue disorders; high resolution CT; lung