BRONCHIOLITIS OBLITERANS ASSOCIATED WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - FINDINGS ON HRCT AND DYNAMIC EXPIRATORY CT

Objective: To show the CT findings of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) as sociated with rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods: We used hig h-resolution CT (HRCT) and dynamic expiratory cine CT to evaluate two patients with rheumatoid arthritis and a clinical diagnosis of BO. Bot h had pulmonary function tests to correlate with the radiographic find ings. Results: High-resolution CT showed bronchiectasis and mosaic per fusion in both patients. Expiratory CT showed multiple scattered areas of air trapping consistent with small airway obstruction. Imaging fin dings correlated with pulmonary function tests, which showed severe ai rway obstruction and inhomogeneous lung ventilation. Conclusion: Pulmo nary HRCT and dynamic expiratory CT are useful in verifying the clinic al diagnosis of BO in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those too unstable to undergo open lung biopsy.