Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-1-1
pubmed:abstractText
In patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), the diagnosis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia is usually made after excluding, among other conditions, connective tissue diseases (CTDs). Although in most patients with a CTD and respiratory symptoms, the systemic nature of the disease is obvious, the ILD-related manifestations in CTDs may often dominate the clinical picture or precede systemic findings and thus mimic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. With the exception of systemic lupus erythematosus, all CTDs may imitate chronic idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. In this setting, clues to an underlying CTD may be entirely absent or include subtle findings from various systems, including skin, vascular and musculoskeletal system or internal organs. Since nonspecific interstitial pneumonia is a relatively frequent histological pattern in CTDs, biopsy reports of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia should also prompt a search for an underlying CTD. Ultimately, diagnosis of a CTD requires confirmation with immunological testing; interpretation of the various laboratory tests should always be carried out in conjunction with clinical findings. The present article reviews specific clinical aspects of connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease that may help differentiate it from idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, especially when interstitial lung disease is the predominant or sole manifestation of an occult connective tissue disease.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
1399-3003
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
31
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
11-20
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Occult connective tissue diseases mimicking idiopathic interstitial pneumonias.
pubmed:affiliation
University of Athens Medical School, 75 M. Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece. gtzelep@med.uoa.gr
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review