The Lungs in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Annals ofthe Rheumatic Diseases 1995; 54: 815-819 815 Use of high resolution computed tomography of Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.54.10.815 on 1 October 1995. Downloaded from the lungs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis Bernard Cortet, Rene-Marc Flipo, Martine Remy-Jardin, Pascal Coquerelle, Bernard Duquesnoy, Jacques Remy, Bernard Delcambre Abstract bronchiectasis.2The prevalence of lung mani- Objective-To assess the usefulness of festations in RA is not known with accuracy, high resolution computed tomography and varies according to the method of diag- (HRCT) of the lungs in patients with nosis. The chest radiograph, for example, may rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with and with- be abnormal in 2-5% ofpatients with RA,2 but out respiratory symptoms. plain chest radiography is not sensitive enough Patients and methods-Eighty eight RA for the diagnosis of lung involvement. High patients with a mean duration of disease resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is a 12 (SD 8) years were evaluated. Eleven non-invasive method of assessing interstitial patients were excluded because of pre- lung disease (ILD), in particular, which has vious exposure to silica. The 77 remaining recently been shown to be useful in systemic patients formed two groups according sclerosis.3" The use of HRCT in RA is poorly to the absence (group I, n = 38) or the documented, but the technique appears to be presence (group II, n = 39) of chronic useful when there is suspected clinical and respiratory symptoms. A control group radiological ILD.5 6 The aim of the present consisted of 51 non-smoking, healthy study was to assess the usefulness of HRCT in patients. RA patients with and without respiratory Results-The most frequent abnormalities symptoms, compared with a control group of observed in the 77 RA patients were non-smoking volunteers. bronchiectasis or bronchiolectasis (n = 23, 30%), pulmonary nodules (n = 17, 22%), subpleural micronodules or pseudoplaques Patients and methods (n = 13, 17%/), ground glass opacities PATIENTS (n =11, 14%), and honeycombing (n = 8, Eighty eight patients fulfilling the revised 10%). Bronchiectasis or bronchiolectasis criteria for RA of the American Rheumatism (p = 0-012), rounded opacities (p = 0'016), Association were reviewed.7 All had undergone http://ard.bmj.com/ ground glass attenuation (p = 0.004), and HRCT examination of the thorax between honeycombing (p = 0.002) were found more 1987 and 1993. Among them, 11 patients who often in RA group II (with respiratory had been exposed to silica were excluded symptoms) than in group I (no respiratory because of possible confusion between rheu- symptoms). Non-linear septal opacities matoid and pneumoconiotic lung lesions. were more frequent in group I than in the HRCT had been performed in the remaining 77 because of of associated suspicion on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Department of control group, but other HRCT findings patients Rheumatology, did not differ statistically significantly pulmonary disease, on the grounds of pul- CHRU Lille, between group I and the control group. monary symptoms or systematic evaluation of H6pital B, Conclusion-Bronchiectasis may be a lung changes. In the latter case, the patients 2 Avenue Oscar Lambret, characteristic lung change in RA patients. were selected consecutively from one depart- 59037, Lille Cedex, Abnormalities on HRCT are less fre- ment ofrheumatology, the systematic evaluation France quently observed in the absence of respir- of their lung changes was approved by the B Cortet R-M Flipo atory symptoms than in the presence of Hospital Ethics Committee, and all patients P Coquerelle such symptoms (29% versus 69%). gave written informed consent to participate. B Duquesnoy The 77 patients comprised 51 women and 26 B Delcambre (Ann Rheum Dis 1995; 54: 815-819) men, mean age 57 (SD 10) years (range 36-79). Department of one were non-smokers who had never Radiology, Seventy CHRU Lille, smoked and six were current smokers, mean Hopital Calmette, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common cigarette consumption 24 (20) packs/year Boulevard Jules chronic inflammatory disease affecting about (range 1-60 packs). The mean duration of RA Leclerc, 59037, Lille Cedex, 1% of the white population. Extra-articular at the time of chest HRCT was 12 (8) years. France manifestations may involve, in particular, the Subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules were noted M Remy-Jardin skin (rheumatoid nodules), eyes, heart, and in 17 patients (22%) and rheumatoid factor in J Remy lungs. Since the first description oflung disease 44 (57%). Nine patients (12%) were suffering Correspondence to: Bernard Cortet, associated with RA by Ellman and Ball in from Sjogren's syndrome (presence of sicca Department of 1948,1 several forms ofpleuropulmonary disease syndrome and positive labial salivary gland Rheumatology, CHRU Lille, H6pital B, have been established in RA: pleural effusion/ biopsy (focus score> 1, stage III or IV on 2 Avenue Oscar Lambret, pleuritis, rheumatoid lung nodules, Caplan's Chisolm's classification8)). Functional capacity 59037, bille Cedex, France. syndrome, fibrosing alveolitis, lymphoid hyper- was evaluated by Steinbrocker classification:9 Accepted for publication plasia with germinal centres, pulmonary 12 were class I, 28 class II, and 37 class III. 26 June 1995 hypertension, constrictive bronchiolitis, and At the time of the HRCT examination, 63 of 816 Cortet, Flipo, Remy-Jardin, et al the 77 patients were receiving corticosteroids decision. Multiple radiological criteria for the or second line drugs: glucocorticoids (n = 49); diagnosis of lung involvement were assessed, Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.54.10.815 on 1 October 1995. Downloaded from methotrexate (n = 24); tiopronine (n= 10); including site and severity. The major abnor- sodium aurothiomalate (n = 7); sulphasalazine malities screened for were: rounded opacities (n = 7); hydroxychloroquine (n = 1). The patients (parenchymal micronodules = rounded lesions were allocated to two groups according to less than 3 mm in diameter; nodules = rounded the absence (group I, n = 38) or presence lesions greater than 3 mm in diameter; (group II, n = 39) of respiratory symptoms subpleural micronodules = areas of hyper- such as cough (in the morning or all day), attenuation less than 3 mm in diameter); sputum production (in the morning or all day), ground glass attenuation (bronchi and vessels or dyspnoea. visible); dependent areas of attenuation A control group comprised 51 healthy (bronchial walls and vessels obscured); septal subjects who had never smoked and who lines and non-septal lines; honeycombing were previously enrolled in a prospective study (areas of cystic spaces with thickened walls); assessing HRCT of the lungs in healthy adult bronchiectasis (abnormal visualisation of volunteers.'0 There were 34 women and 17 proximal airways); bronchiolectasis (abnormal men (mean age 33 (8) years), all urban visualisation of airways in peripheral locations: dwellers and recruited from workers in our dilated bronchiolar division visualised along hospital. None had a past history of lung their length when horizontal, or peripheral disease and, in particular, none had previously signet ring signs when coursing in a vertical undergone chest surgery or suffered from a direction; architectural distortion; emphysema respiratory illness such as bronchiolitis of any characterised by areas of decreased attenuation origin in previous years or in infancy. Some and disruption of the vascular pattern. control patients had respiratory symptoms: Statistical comparisons between the different cough (n = 4; morning, n = 3; all day, n = 1), groups of patients were made using the x2 test sputum production in the morning (n = 2), and with Yates' correction if necessary. Correlation dyspnoea occurring after strenuous activity coefficients were calculated by linear regression such as climbing three flights of stairs, heavy analysis. housework, or walking more than one mile on level ground (n = 8). Results The table summarises the results. METHODS HRCT ofthe thorax was performed with either an Elscint 2400 (Hackensak, NJ) or a Siemens HRCT IN RA PATIENTS Somatom Plus (Erlangen, Germany). Serial HRCT was abnormal in 38 (49%) of the 77 RA slices were taken through the chest, each 1 mm patients- 1 from group I (29%) (no respir- in and 10 mm apart. factors width Technical atory symptoms) and 27 from group II (69%) http://ard.bmj.com/ were 130 kV and 420 mA (Elscint CT unit) or (with respiratory symptoms) (p < 0 001). 137 kV and 255 mA (Siemens CT unit). The most frequent abnormality on HRCT of Images were reconstructed using a high spatial the lungs was bronchiectasis or bronchiolectasis frequency algorithm for parenchymal analysis (figure), observed in 23 patients (30%)-three and a standard algorithm for mediastinal patients in group I (8%), and 20 patients in evaluation. HRCT studies were performed at group II (51%) (p = 0 0 12)-and consisted of suspended end inspiratory volume with one honeycombing in seven ofthem. Among the 16 second (Siemens) or two seconds (Elscint) with bronchiectasis or bronchiolectasis but no on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. scan time with patients in the supine position. honeycombing, 14 patients were non-smokers In cases of limited joint mobility, especially who had never smoked. Specific evaluation involving the shoulders, HRCT scan was per- of these 14 non-smoking patients showed formed with the patient's arms positioned bronchiectasis