Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Prospective Study at a Tertiary Care Center
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Date
2022-09
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Publisher
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Pvt. Ltd
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine the role of clinical, spirometry, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings to facilitate early detection of ILD in RA. Materials and methods: This is a prospective study at a tertiary care hospital from February 2016 to June 2019. All patients satisfying the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA and having respiratory symptoms or signs were included. All patients had detailed history, clinical examination, laboratory evaluation, spirometry, and HRCT chest. Results: A total of 280 patients of RA with respiratory symptoms were evaluated, out of which 82 (29.29%) had pulmonary involvement. There were 70 women and 12 men. Rheumatoid factor was positive in 90.2% of patients while anti-CCP antibody was positive in 43.9%. Chest X-ray (CXR) showed bilateral haziness in 36.9%. HRCT findings revealed a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern in 73.2% patients and 24% had an nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) pattern. Spirometric evidence of lung involvement was present in 84.2% of these cases. 2D Echo showed pulmonary hypertension (PH) in 46.3% of patients. Conclusion: Screening for respiratory symptoms and signs is essential in the clinical evaluation of RA. CXR, HCRT chest, and spirometry can be used effectively to diagnose RA-ILD early.
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Keywords
High-resolution computed tomography, Interstitial lung disease, Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, Rheumatoid arthritis, Spirometry, Usual interstitial pneumonia
Citation
Oak J, Sharma S, Shastri R, Singh S.. Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Prospective Study at a Tertiary Care Center. Indian Journal of Chest Diseases & Allied Sciences. 2022 Sep; 64(3): 168-172