Medicinski vjesnik, Vol. 22 No. (4), 1990.
Professional paper
Lung ventilation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Jasna Loretić-Rašić
Božo Gugić
Abstract
Due to their structure, the lungs of the patients with systemic connective tissue diseases are suitable sites for the development of pulmonary insufficiency. A group of 38 patients who had been treated for rheumatoid arthritis was analyzed. In 23 examinees, chest radiographs revealed visible significant signs of pulmonary tissue lesions, located in the lower zones of both lungs. Only five examinees had adheral pleural lesions. Lung function tests showed a restrictive pattern in 18 patients. The authors refer to the literature reports on the pulmonary complications caused by the side-effects of drugs (gold, corticosteroids, penicillamine, sulphasalazine). The compensatory mechanisms of the remaining »healthy« lung parts may influence that in a number of cases morphological pulmonary changes are not accompanied by the functional disorders of lung ventilation.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
196290
URI
Publication date:
1.12.1990.
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