Bronchiolitis Obliterans with Organizing Pneumonia (BOOP) in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis / 대한류마티스학회지

ABSTRACT

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the common extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is one type of ILD, and this is characterized by the proliferation of granulation tissue in the bronchioles, alveolar ducts and some alveoli and interstitial infiltration by chronic inflammatory cells. It develops as a manifestation of RA or as a side effect of anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with RA. We experienced a 41-year-old female patient with RA who developed BOOP during the treatment with methotrexate and bucillamine. She presented with cough and sputum for several months and pleuritic chest pain for one week. The chest radiograph showed bilateral multifocal consolidations. She received thoracoscopic biopsy and her pulmonary infiltrations resolved after the treatment with corticosteroid.