High-resolution CT and pulmonary function tests in rheumatoid arthritis patients with subclinical interstitial lung disease in Kuwait

Abstract

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent extra-articular manifestation of RA and can cause significant morbidity and mortality.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Related Interstitial Lung Disease: Patterns of High-resolution Computed Tomography

“…Findings of HRCT that did not fall under any defined category were labeled as others, as were present in five (9.3%) patients. [18]. The discrepancy in the mean age of the patients in our study may be present due to the small sample size.…”

“…Affara NK et al examined HRCT abnormalities in their study, i.e., GGO was present in 30%, air space opacification (AS) was present in 13.3%, mixed AS/GGO was present in 13.3%, honeycombing in 10%, septal thickening in 26.7% and traction bronchiectasis in 11.7% of the subjects [18]. In contrast with these studies, our study reported interlobular septal thickening as the most common HRCT finding, present in 22 (40.7%) patients and illustrated in Similarly, GGO was present in 21 (38.9%) patients (Figure 2), nine (16.7%) patients had honeycombing.…”

Screening for Subclinical Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Functional and Radiological Methods

“…This study showed that about 3/4 of the studied patients had subclinical ILD identified by HRCT (about 1/4 of them had minimal disease). However, in Nasr et al 17 38.3% (23/60) of all involved RA patients had subclinical ILD and only 16 patients (26.7%) had an abnormal pulmonary function. In addition, in Gochuico et al 6 , 21 33% having RA had subclinical ILD.…”