[Follicular bronchiolitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis]

A 52-year-old man with an 8-year history of rheumatoid arthritis was admitted to the hospital because of coughing and purulent sputum. A chest X-ray film obtained on admission showed small nodular shadows without overinflation in both lower lung fields, and a high-resolution CT scan showed many micronodular shadows in the centrilobular regions. Follicular bronchiolitis was diagnosed from the results of an open-lung biopsy, and prednisolone therapy was started at a dosage of 40 mg/day. Sinusitis developed 4 years later. Five years after the start of steroid therapy, dilation of bronchi and thickening of bronchial walls appeared on a CT scan, which also showed areas of low attenuation that were presumed to be bronchiolitis obliterans. These findings suggest that the pattern of airway disease can vary during the course of rheumatoid arthritis.