TITLE:
A Study on the Pulmonary Manifestations of Rheumatoid Arthritis from a North Indian Town
AUTHORS:
Nazish Fatima, Mohammed Shameem, Abida Malik, Parvez Anwar Khan, Fatima Shujatullah, Sohail Ahmed, Nabeela
KEYWORDS:
Rheumatoid Arthritis; Pulmonary Manifestations
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Respiratory Diseases,
Vol.3 No.3,
August
1,
2013
ABSTRACT: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is
a chronic systemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by articular
involvement, extra-articular involvement, and the presence of serum rheumatoid
factor. Pulmonary involvement in RA is a common extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) that confers significant morbidity and mortality. We undertook
this study to determine the prevalence and spectrum of
pulmonary abnormalities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from a North
Indian town. 62 patients who met the American College of Rheumatology (formerly the American
Rheumatism Association) 1987 classification criteria for RA were subjected to clinical examination of chest, X-Ray-chest (CXR),
pulmonary function tests (PFT) and high resonance computed tomography (HRCT).
40.3% patients had some pulmonary symptoms with exertional dyspnoea in 21%,
cough with expectoration in 17.7%, fine respiratory rales in 11.3%, patients
X-ray chest bilateral lower zone haziness in 16% and prominent pulmonary
vasculature in 3.2%. 43% had abnormal PFT-restrictive pattern
in 29%, obstructive pattern 8% and mixed pattern in 6.4%. HRCT revealed
abnormal findings in 33.8% commonest being ground glass pattern in both lower
lobes 19.3%, sub pleural reticulations in 9.6%, pleural thickening in 3.2% and
pulmonary vascular prominence in 1.6%. To provide optimal treatment, physicians
must always consider the possibility of associated pulmonary manifestations
when patients with RA are evaluated.