Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis |
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| Authors: | R J van Thiel S van der Burg A D Groote G D Nossent S H Wills |
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| Institution: | Dept. of Pulmonary Diseases, Diakonessenhuis Groningen, The Netherlands. |
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| Abstract: | Bronchiolitis obliterans, with or without organizing pneumonia, can be a serious and life-threatening complication of rheumatoid arthritis. We describe a case of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in a patient who recently developed rheumatoid arthritis, presenting as a severe respiratory insufficiency. Diagnosis was made by means of open lung biopsy. Treatment with corticosteroids induced a quick response and substantial improvement of the respiratory symptoms. A simultaneous strong rise in titres of serological tests suggests a relationship between the bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia and the rheumatoid arthritis. |
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