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Rheumatoid lung disease - Symptom
Alternative Names
Lung disease - rheumatoid arthritis; Rheumatoid nodules
Symptoms:
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Fever
- Joint swelling
- Joint stiffness
- Joint pain
- Skin nodules
Signs and tests:
The doctor may hear crackles when listening to the lungs with a stethoscope (auscultation). Or, the patient may have decreased breath sounds, a rubbing sound, or normal breath sounds.
The following tests may show problems consistent with rheumatoid lung disease:
- Chest x-ray
- CT scan of the chest
- Echocardiogram (may show pulmonary hypertension)
- Needle inserted into the fluid around the lung (thoracentesis)
- Bronchoscopic, video-assisted, or open lung biopsy
- Reviewed last on: 3/13/2007
- David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
References
Strange C, Highland KB. Interstitial lung disease in the patient who has connective tissue disease. Clin Chest Med. September 2004;25:549-559.
Zrour SH, Touzi M, Bejia I, et al. Correlations between high-resolution computed tomography of the chest and clinical function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Prospective study in 75 patients. Joint Bone Spine. January 2005;72:41-47.
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