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Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Radiological incomplete thymus involution in systemic sclerosis.
Fahrettin Oksel1, Figen Tarhan, Selen Bayraktaroğlu
1Department of Internal medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Ege University School of Medicine, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. fahrettin.oksel@ege.edu.tr
Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
|May 19, 2009
Summary
This study found a higher rate of incomplete thymus involution in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients compared to controls. This thymic abnormality was less common in SSc patients who developed pulmonary fibrosis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Radiology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- The thymus is vital for immune homeostasis.
- Thymic abnormalities are linked to autoimmune diseases like Systemic Sclerosis (SSc).
- Radiological assessment of the thymus in SSc is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of radiological thymus abnormalities in SSc patients.
- To explore the association between thymic abnormalities and clinical/laboratory features in SSc.
- To investigate the relationship between thymic abnormalities and pulmonary fibrosis in SSc.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans from 63 female SSc patients.
- Comparison with 45 age-matched female controls with normal HRCT scans.
- Evaluation of thymus morphology, specifically incomplete involution, on HRCT.
Main Results:
- Incomplete thymus involution was significantly more frequent in SSc patients (19%) versus controls (4.4%; P=0.022).
- SSc patients with pulmonary fibrosis showed a lower frequency of incomplete thymus involution (7.9%) compared to those without fibrosis (36%; P=0.007).
Conclusions:
- Radiological evidence of incomplete thymus involution is more common in SSc patients.
- The lower prevalence of pulmonary fibrosis in SSc patients with incomplete thymus involution warrants further investigation.
- These findings suggest a potential role for thymic abnormalities in the pathogenesis or clinical presentation of SSc.
