RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS AND BRONCHIAL DILATA TION - A LITTLE RECOGNIZED ASSOCIATION

Since Ellmann's description in 1948 numerous authors have studied the respiratory manifestations associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Among st the numerous disorders described dilatation of the bronchi, althoug h one of the most frequent, remains largely under-estimated. The autho rs report a series of 21 patients presenting jointly with both rheumat oid arthritis and bronchiectasis which was documented using thoracic c omputed scanning. All the subjects were female. For 20 of these patien ts, the appearance of bronchial suppuration preceded that of the artic ular manifestations by several years. Bronchial dilatation in these ca ses can, only with difficulty, be considered as a complication of arth ritis as has been previously suggested. Rather it appears as a possibl e pre-disposing factor in the occurrence of the rheumatoid disease. Th ese hypotheses explain the pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in this association are discussed.