[Chest radiology in rheumatoid arthritis. A study of 89 patients (author's transl)]

Chronic interstitial pneumonia, necrobiotic nodules and pleural lesions are felt to be extraarticular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In a prospective study, posteroanterior and lateral chest X-ray films were taken in 89 patients with classical or definite RA (15 male and 74 female), of whom 64 (71.9%) were seropositive. The findings were compared with those of 103 age and sex matched controls. The chest X-rays were blindly evaluated by two of the authors (a pneumologist and a radiologist), and the presence of an interstitial pattern, nodules or pleural lesions was recorded. The following results were obtained: Interstitial pattern, in patients with RA, 5/89 (5.6%), and in controls, 5/103 (4.6%). Pulmonary nodules, in RA, 2/89 (2.2%), and in controls, 2/103 (1.9%). Pleural adhesions, in RA, 32/89 (35.9%), and in controls, 24/103 (23.5%). The results of the present series demonstrate that radiological pulmonary lesions are not more frequent in RA than in controls, similar conclusions having been reached by other authors.