title: Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis assessed by multidetector computed tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) may present with extra-articular involvement in the lungs. We aimed to evaluate the abnormal pulmonary multidetector computed tomography findings of patients with AS and compare them with the clinical symptoms, duration of illness, laboratory results and pulmonary function tests (PFT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the chest multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) findings of 41 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and compared them with pulmonary function test (PFT) results, demographic characteristics, duration of illness and laboratory findings that we were able to obtain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common abnormalities were nodules, peribronchial thickening, pleural thickening and bronchiectasis. Abnormalities occurred in 96.87% of patients in the early AS group and 77.8% of patients in the late AS group. Patients with early AS included asymptomatic individuals with normal PFT results and abnormal MDCT findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of MDCT in AS patients may be beneficial for the evaluation of pulmonary disease, even in asymptomatic patients without any PFT abnormalities and those in the early stages of the disease.
authors: Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Ruken
authors: R
authors: Yuksekkaya
authors: Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Ferdag
authors: F
authors: Almus
authors: Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Celıkyay
authors: Department of Chest Disease, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Serhat
authors: S
authors: Celıkel
authors: Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey ; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Inanır
authors: Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Eda
authors: E
authors: Almus
authors: Department of Radiology, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.
authors: Zafer
authors: Z
authors: Ozmen
keywords: Ankylosing Spondylitis; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Pulmonary