[Pleuropulmonary manifestations in chronic polyarthritis]

Nine cases of rheumatoid arthritis with pleuropulmonary involvement illustrate the most common pulmonary symptoms of this disease: rheumatoid pleurisy, interstitial pneumopathy, pulmonary rheumatoid nodules and bacterial pleuropulmonary infections. Each of these pleuropulmonary manifestations may precede the joint disease and cause considerable diagnostic difficulties. Rheumatoid pleural effusion displays an interesting pathognomic constellation: low glucose- and elevated lactate-dehydrogenase concentration, acid pH, often pathologic C1q-binding assay, and characteristic cytomorphology of the pleural fluid. Interstitial pneumopathy is usually mild and slowly progressive. Additional spirometric tests to determine ventilation disturbances sometimes demonstrate airway obstruction. Lower-airway obstruction is probably not caused by the disease itself but may be due to other risk factors (eg cigarette smoking). Depending on their localization, intrapulmonary nodules may lead to severe complications (hemoptysis, bronchopleural fistula, pneumothorax, abscess formation). The possibility of pleuropulmonary infection must always be kept in mind as patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher susceptibility to infection.