Affection of theLungs in Progressive Systemic Sclerosis

Overview

The objective of the work was to assess the frequency of pulmonary affections in patients withprogressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), and to correlate the HRCT (high resolution computed tomog-raphy) with bronchoalveolar lavage findings. The group was formed by 25 patients with PSS, thecontrol group by 11 healthy volunteers. According to HRCT a pulmonary affection was revealed in18 patients (72%), in newly diagnosed cases in 8 of 13 (61.5%), in previously diagnosed cases in 10 of12 (83.3%). Impaired ventilation was detected in 11 patients (44%), impaired diffusion capacity ofthe lungs was found in 14 patients (56%). In the bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with pulmonaryaffections a reduced number of alveolar macrophages a raised number of lymphocytes and neutrop-hil leucocytes was found. In patients without pulmonary affection the findings in the bronchoalve-olar lavage did not differ from the control group. In patients with PSS an increased ratio ofCD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes was found in the peripheral blood stream but in the bronchoalveolar lavageit did not differ from the control group. Pulmonary affection in PSS is found in the majority ofpatients, its frequency rises with the duration of the disease. A slightly elevated number of lympho-cytes and neutrophil leucocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage correlates with the finding on HRCT.

Key words:
progressive systemic sclerosis, scleroderma, high resolution computed tomography,bronchoalveolar lavage, pulmonary fibrosis