FIGURE 1.

Suggested approach to the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (and/or connective tissue disease (CTD))-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). HRCT: high-resolution computed tomography; RF: rheumatoid factor; CCP: cyclic citrullinated protein; MDD: multidisciplinary discussion; UIP: usual interstitial pneumonia; NSIP: nonspecific interstitial pneumonia; OP: organising pneumonia; LIP: lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia; BAL: bronchoalveolar lavage. ^#: transbronchial biopsy, cryobiopsy or surgical lung biopsy, as per the treating clinician's discretion and/or MDD; elective surgical lung biopsy in patients may be considered if transbronchial lung biopsy and/or cryobiopsy is non-diagnostic in patients who are stable and are not at high risk for surgical complications; ^¶: findings can overlap with other radiographic patterns; ⁺: patients should be re-evaluated when appropriate if clinical symptoms or features of CTD develop during follow-up; ^§: pursue alternative diagnoses guided by appropriate clinical setting and guidelines (e.g. idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, etc.).