Original Research Article
Year: 2020 | Month: April | Volume: 7 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 427-436
Study of the Pulmonary Manifestations in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pankaj Banotra1, Areca Wangnoo1, Mohit Sharma1, Annil Mahajan2
1Residents, Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College, Jammu
2Professor & HOD, Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College, Jammu
Corresponding Author: Pankaj Banotra
ABSTRACT
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease which is variable in its effects. Although joint disease is the main presentation, there are a number of extra- articular manifestations including subcutaneous nodule formation, vasculitis, inflammatory eye disease and lung disease. ILD is the most common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis lung disease. Our purpose of the study was to assess the pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis and its associated risk factors.
Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the Postgraduate Department of Medicine at Government Medical College Jammu after obtaining ethical clearance during a period of 1 year. A total of 100 patients of Rheumatoid arthritis who met the ACR EULAR criteria were included. Patients were further evaluated for pulmonary manifestations by physiological (pulmonary function test) and radiological methods (chest X-ray, HRCT chest). Chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical variables. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant
Results: Out of 100 studied patients, 34% had lung involvement. ILD was present in 34% patients on HRCT. ILD was the most common lung manifestation of RA. Lung involvement was twice more common in males as compared to females. Longer duration of illness had significant impact. The other risk factors which were found significant in our study were smoking (p=0.002), clinically severe RA (p<0.001), high RF titres (p=0.009) and high anti CCP titres (p=0.004). UIP was the most common ILD seen in RA in our study.
Conclusion: In the present study conducted, there was high prevalence of pulmonary involvement as ILD in patients of rheumatoid arthritis. History of smoking, male sex, presence of rheumatoid factor, duration of illness and clinical severity of illness are all associated with progression to pulmonary involvement.
Keywords: Pulmonary, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Interstitial lung diseases
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