Table 1.
Demographics and Clinical Presentation (N = 41)
| Age at diagnosis (mean ± SD) | 57 ± 15 |
| Sex | |
| Male, N (%) | 3 (7.3) |
| Female, N (%) | 38 (92.7) |
| Positive tobacco use, N (%) | 6 (14.6) |
| Pack year history (median (IQR)) | 13.5 (6.1-37.5) |
| Duration of RA prior to diagnosis, years (mean ± SD) | 14 ± 12 |
| Use of penicillamine, N (%) | 4 (9.8) |
| Use of gold salts, N (%) | 8 (19.5) |
| Non-pulmonary, extra-articular symptoms at diagnosis, N (%) | 10 (24.4) |
| Active joint symptoms at diagnosis, N (%) | 16 (39.0) |
| Sjögren’s syndrome | 7(17) |
| Respiratory symptoms at diagnosis | |
| Dyspnea, N (%) | 38 (92.7) |
| Cough, N (%) | 13 (31.7) |
| Chest Pain, N (%) | 8 (19.5) |
| Radiologic findings of OB at diagnosis (N=39) | |
| Mosaic attenuation, N (%) | 20 (51.3) |
| Centrilobular nodules, N (%) | 3 (7.7) |
| Radiologic findings of other RA-related pulmonary disease (N=39) | |
| Pulmonary nodules, N (%) | 21 (53.8) |
| Fibrosis, N (%) | 12 (30.8) |
| Pleural effusion, N (%) | 2 (5.1) |
| Bronchiectasis, N (%) | 19 (48.7) |
| Patients biopsied, N (%) (one patient had both wedge and transbronchial) | 11 (26.8) |
| Wedge biopsy, N (%) | 5 (41.7) |
| Transbronchial biopsy, N (%) | 7 (58.3) |
| Unique biopsies consistent with OB diagnosis, N (%) | 7 (58.3) (5 wedge, 2 TBB) |
Abbreviations: IQR interquartile range, RA rheumatoid arthritis, OB obliterate bronchiolitis, TBB transbronchial biopsy