Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis assessed by multidetector computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Pulmonology
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can affect the lungs, presenting as extra-articular involvement.
• Pulmonary complications in AS require thorough evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pulmonary multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) findings in AS patients.
• To correlate MDCT findings with clinical symptoms, disease duration, lab results, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs).

Main Methods:

• Chest MDCT scans of 41 AS patients were analyzed.
• Findings were compared with PFT results, demographics, disease duration, and laboratory data.

Main Results:

• Common abnormalities included nodules, peribronchial thickening, pleural thickening, and bronchiectasis.
• Abnormalities were found in 96.87% of early AS patients and 77.8% of late AS patients.
• Early AS patients showed abnormal MDCT findings despite normal PFTs and being asymptomatic.

Conclusions:

• MDCT is valuable for detecting pulmonary disease in AS patients.
• Early detection of pulmonary involvement is possible with MDCT, even in asymptomatic individuals with normal PFTs.