WHEN THE LUNGS ARE INVOLVED BY CONNECTIVE-TISSUE DISEASE

Pulmonary involvement by a connective tissue disease can result in cli nically important complications. Pathogenic mechanisms vary from granu lomatous reaction and interstitial inflammation to primary vasculitis and immune complex-mediated disease. Understanding the pulmonary compl ications of connective tissue diseases is challenging in that several distinct patterns of involvement are associated with the same disease but the same lung abnormalities are found with several different disea ses. Early recognition and treatment of pulmonary involvement may offe r the patient a better chance of recovery from serious conditions that often carry a grim prognosis if undetected.