MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Rheumatoid lung disease

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Rheumatoid lung disease

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Causes, incidence, and risk factors Symptoms	Signs and tests Treatment Expectations (prognosis) Complications Calling your health care provider

Illustrations

Bronchoscopy

Respiratory system

Alternative names Return to top

Lung disease - rheumatoid arthritis

Definition Return to top

Rheumatoid lung disease is associated with rheumatoid arthritis and includes pleural effusions, pulmonary fibrosis, lung nodules, and pulmonary hypertension.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

Pulmonary abnormalities are common in rheumatoid arthritis, but they often have no symptoms. The causes of lung disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis are unknown. Sometimes the medicines used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may result in lung disease.

Symptoms Return to top

Shortness of breath
Cough
Chest pain
Fever

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease include the following:

Signs and tests Return to top

Crackles may be heard when listening to the lungs with a stethoscope (auscultation). Alternatively, there may be decreased breath sounds, a "rub," or normal breath sounds.

A chest X-ray may show abnormalities consistent with rheumatoid lung disease.
A CT scan of the chest may show abnormalities consistent with rheumatoid lung disease.
An echocardiogram may show pulmonary hypertension.
A thoracentesis (putting a needle into fluid around the lung) may show characteristics of rheumatoid lung disease.
A bronchoscopic, video-assisted, or open lung biopsy may show findings consistent with rheumatoid lung disease.

Treatment Return to top

Many people have no symptoms. Therefore, treatment is aimed at the underlying disorder and for specific complications resulting from this disorder. Corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive therapy are sometimes useful.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

The outcome is related to the underlying disorder and the type and severity of lung disease.

Complications Return to top

Calling your health care provider Return to top

Call your health care provider PROMPTLY if you have rheumatoid arthritis and unexplained breathing difficulties occur.

Update Date: 5/7/2003

Updated by: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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