Rapidly fatal bronchiolitis obliterans with circulating antinuclear and rheumatoid factors

A 57-year-old woman developed severe bronchiolitis obliterans and presented circulating antinuclear and rheumatoid factors without any evidence of connective tissue disease. The evolution was rapidly fatal despite corticosteroid therapy and immunosuppressive treatment. The post-mortem study disclosed no connective tissue disease lesions. We suggest that the serologic abnormalities could be secondary to the inflammation of the bronchioles.