Complex obstructive lung disease - A diagnostic and management conundrum

Respiratory Medicine Case Reports
Danielle R GlickJanaki Deepak

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease most well-known for its inflammatory, destructive polyarthropathy. Extraarticular manifestations of the disease may involve the respiratory system, including interstitial lung disease, pleural disease, pulmonary vascular abnormalities, and airways disease. Smoking is highly prevalent in the RA population, and may even have a synergistic effect in disease development and progression. In the diagnosis of pulmonary disease, this presents a unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We present a case of a woman in her 50s who presented for evaluation of dyspnea and was found to have obstructive lung disease. In addition to RA, she had a significant smoking history and also owned pet birds, making definitive diagnosis difficult. Ultimately, chest imaging was crucial in identifying RA-related lung disease as the root cause of her symptoms, leading to successful treatment and symptom management.

References

May 29, 1998·American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·T PerezB Cortet
Sep 25, 2012·Clinical Radiology·H MasseyA Edey
Feb 26, 2013·Arthritis Care & Research·Carlotta NanniniTim Bongartz
Feb 6, 2014·QJM : Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians·T-C ShenF-C Sung
Mar 3, 2015·European Respiratory Review : an Official Journal of the European Respiratory Society·Megan ShawGanesh Raghu
Jan 14, 2016·Radiographics : a Review Publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc·Arlene SirajuddinCharles S White

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Autoimmune diseases occur as a result of an attack by the immune system on the body’s own tissues resulting in damage and dysfunction. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, in which there is a complex and unknown interaction between genetics and the environment. Discover the latest research on autoimmune diseases here.

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