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Review
. 2015 May;41(2):225-36.
doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2014.12.004. Epub 2015 Feb 3.

Lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis

Zulma X Yunt  1 , Joshua J Solomon  2
Affiliations
Review

Lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis

Zulma X Yunt et al. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2015 May.

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects approximately 1% of the US population frequently has extra-articular manifestations. Most compartments of the lung are susceptible to disease. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and airways disease are the most common forms of RA-related lung disease. RA-ILD carries the worst prognosis and most often manifests in a histologic pattern of usual interstitial pneumonia or nonspecific interstitial pneumonia. There have been no large, well-controlled prospective studies investigating therapies for RA-ILD. Treatment usually entails immunomodulatory agents. Further studies are needed to better understand pathogenic mechanisms of disease that lead to lung involvement in these patients.

Keywords: Bronchiolitis; Drug-induced lung disease; Extra-articular disease; Interstitial lung disease; Interstitial pneumonia; Pleural effusion; Pulmonary; Rheumatoid arthritis.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
UIP in RA. The UIP pattern consists of peripheral basilar predominant reticular abnormalities, honeycombing, traction bronchiectasis, and minimal to no ground-glass opacification.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia in RA. The nonspecific interstitial pneumonia pattern consists of reticulation and ground-glass with little or no architectural distortion or honeycombing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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