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rheumatoid lung disease
Etiology:
- rheumatoid arthritis
Pathology:
- rheumatoid nodules may be found in the lung
Clinical manifestations:
- many patients have no pulmonary symptoms
- dyspnea
- cough
- chest pain
- fever
- crackles or decreased breath sounds
- other signs/symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
Radiology:
- chest X-ray
- CT of thorax
Special laboratory:
- echocardiogram may show pulmonary hypertension
- bronchoscopy with endoscopic biopsy, or open lung biopsy
Complications:
- pulmonary hypertension
- pneumothorax
- pleural effusion
- pulmonary fibrosis
Management:
- see rheumatoid arthritis
Related
rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
rheumatoid nodule
General
lung disease
References
- MedlinePlus: Rheumatoid lung disease
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000113.htm