A 65-year-old nonsmoker lady carrying a diagnosis of seropositive erosive rheumatoid arthritis for nine years presented with acute shortness of breath, following a spontaneous pneumothorax while on combination therapy with methotrexate, leflunomide, and tocilizumab. Imaging studies revealed multiple cavitory lung nodules, and a transbronchial lung biopsy favoured a diagnosis of rheumatoid lung nodules. Her initial pathological samples were negative for any infectious cause. A follow-up computerized tomography scan (CT scan) confirmed enlargement of lung nodules with a positive antibody test for aspergillosis which needed antifungal therapy, and currently, her arthritis is managed well with rituximab therapy, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine. Copyright © 2020 Geetha Wickrematilake.
Citation
Geetha Wickrematilake. Complicated Rheumatoid Nodules in Lung. Case reports in rheumatology. 2020;2020:6627244
PMID: 33343960
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