RESEARCH - Radiological and functional assessment of pulmonary involvement in RA patients

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Rheumatol Int. 2006 Oct 7; [Epub ahead of print]

Radiological and functional assessment of pulmonary involvement in the

rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Department of Chest Diseases, Meram Medical School of Selcuk University,

Konya, Turkey.

The aim was to evaluate the findings of high resolution computed tomography

(HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFT) in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

patients with and without pulmonary symptoms and to determine their role in

prediction of respiratory system involvement. Among 54 consecutive RA

patients, 22 (41%) were symptomatic and 32 (59%) were asymptomatic after

detailed respiratory examination. Abnormal findings in PFTs were present in

10 (45%) symptomatic and 15 (47%) asymptomatic patients. PFT results were

similar in both groups. A total of 18 (82%) symptomatic and 16 (50%)

asymptomatic patients had abnormalities in HRCT scans. About 16 (80%) of 20

patients with normal HRCT scans had no pulmonary symptoms at all and we

noted a significant correlation (P < 0.05). HRCT was more useful mean than

PFTs in evaluation of pulmonary involvement in the RA patients; however, no

correlation was present between various respiratory symptoms and abnormal

findings both in PFTs and HRCT scans.

PMID: 17028857

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=Abstra\

ctPlus & list_uids=17028857

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