Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis
- Radiologic Findings
- 3. Chest simple radiographs and CT scans show bullous cystic changes with multiple extensive fibrosis in both lungs, especially in the upper lobes with fungal balls in bullous emphysema. “Squaring’ of thoracolumbar vertebrae, together with syndesmophytes and ossified ligaments are noted on lateral view of the chest simple radiograph. These bony lesions of the patient were diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis 16 years ago. In the mediastinal setting of the CT scan seen below, hypertrophied bronchial arteries can be seen.
- Brief Review
- 5. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) abnormalities are prevalent (range, 50-85%) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) even in patients with early disease and in those with normal chest radiographs without respiratory symptoms. The most common abnormal thoracic radiological findings of AS include apical fibrosis, emphysema, pleural involvement, nonspecific linear parenchymal opacities, lymphadenopathy, bronchiectasis, bronchial wall thickening, tracheal dilatation, mosaic patterns, sub-pleural nodules and interstitial lung disease. In general, HRCT changes are of mild degree, and no correlation has thus far been observed between HRCT findings, PFT variables and indices of ankylosing spondylitis symptoms and disease structural severity.
- References
- Quismorio FP Jr. Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2006;12:342-345
2. Sampaio-Barros PD, Cerqueira EM, Rezende SM, et al. Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis. Clin Rheumatol. 2007;26:225–230.
3. Kiris A, Ozgocmen S, Kocakoc E, et al. Lung findings on high resolution CT in early ankylosing spondylitis. Eur J Radiol. 2003;47:71–76.
- Keywords
- Lung, Vertebra, Non-infectious inflammation,