Rheumatoid Pneumonitis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pulmonary disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis or collagen diseases were noted recently in Japan.Three cases with rheumatoid pneumonitis were reported while the patients with rheumatoid arthritis was treated in our clinic. They were patients with definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis, and had a cough, dyspnea, shortness of breath and sense of a vise. The Co-relation between the stage and the appearance of rheumatoid pneumonitis was not clear. The chest film revealed the fibrosing pneumonitis or diffuse interstitial fibrosis with a strand or nodular shadow. Respiratory examination revealed low function. The treatment using corticosteroid was successful for the rheumatoid pneumonitis.