Pulmonary manifestations in ankylosing spondylitis : value of high resolution computed tomography

Abstract EN

Hypothesis : pulmonary involvement in enclosing spondylitis (AS) is often asymptomatic and chest radiographs may be insensitive to early changes.

Objective : to study the distribution of pulmonary lesions in AS patients with high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and to correlate findings with disease duration and pulmonary function tests (PFTs).

Methodology : the study was conducted on 18 AS patients.

PFTs and HRCT of thorax were performed on same day chest x-ray was taken.

Results : 9 patients had interstitial lung abnormalities on HRCT.

Only 3 out of 18 patients had abnormal findings on plain chest x-ray.

PFTs showed a restrictive process in 4 patients and obstructive pattern in 2 patients.

Conclusion : no correlation was found between HRCT abnormalities and either PFTs or disease duration.

As HRCT findings did not correlate with PFTs impairments, so this impairment could be a sequel of stiffness of thoracic cage in AS patients.