Key clinical point: Standardized 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) showed significant loss of lung volume (LV) at acute exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), which was associated with a significant increase in the risk for mortality.
Major finding: Patients with lower vs higher 3D-CT LV had shorter survival (median 2.8 vs 41.7 months; P < .001), with standardized 3D-CT LV being significantly associated with mortality at acute exacerbation of RA-ILD (hazard ratio 0.958; P < .001). Loss of LV was predominantly in the lower lobes at diagnosis and extended to the upper and lower lobes at acute exacerbation ( P < .001).
Study details: The data come from a retrospective, observational study including 54 patients with a diagnosis of RA-ILD, 53 patients admitted with an acute exacerbation of RA-ILD, and 35 control individuals.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Tanaka Y et al. Standardised 3D-CT lung volumes for patients with acute exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023 (Jul 17). doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead363