A Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia Associated with Eosinophilic Pleural Effusion

Yong Gwan Jee; Sang Ho Ra; Yu Mi Park; Jae Whang Cha; Yong Seok Kang; Jeong Ha Park; Tae Young Kang

doi:10.4078/jrd.2013.20.5.328

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Jee, Ra, Park, Cha, Kang, Park, and Kang: A Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia Associated with Eosinophilic Pleural Effusion

Case Report

J Rheum Dis 2013;20(5):328-331.

Published online: 31 October 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4078/jrd.2013.20.5.328

A Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia Associated with Eosinophilic Pleural Effusion

Yong Gwan Jee, Sang Ho Ra, Yu Mi Park, Jae Whang Cha, Yong Seok Kang, Jeong Ha Park, Tae Young Kang

Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea

Corresponding to : Jeong Ha Park, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, 162, Ilsan-dong, Wonju 220-701, Korea. E-mail : jhpark10@yonsei.ac.kr

Received 24 August 201211 October 2012 Accepted 15 October 2012

This is a Free Access article, which permits unrestricted non-commerical use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

We describe a 48-year-old man with family history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affected by chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) with severe peripheral eosinophilia. CEP might develop as a complication of longstanding active RA. The patient with 5 months history of seropositive RA and chronic respiratory symptoms, alveolar and blood eosinophilia, peripheral pulmonary infiltrates and pleural effusion on chest imaging. The lung may be involved as an extraarticular manifestation of RA. However, CEP is not recognized as a typical lung manifestation of RA, and the two diseases rarely coexist. The effusion was an eosino-phil predominant exudates and was characterized by low pH, and glucose level and high lactic dehydrogenase. The patient responded rapidly to combination of steroids and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, Pleural effusion

References

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Figure 1.

Initial chest imaging studies. (A) Chest CT showed consolidation in both lower lung field and left side predominant both pleural effusion. Moderate pericardial effusion was also shown. (B) Chest radiography showed both pleural effusion, increased reticular opacity in both lower lung field and both pleural effusion.

Figure 2.

Bone marrow biopsy finding shows normocellular marrow (60% cellularity) with marked increased number of eosinophils (A) H&E stain, ×100, (B) H&E stain ×400.

Figure 3.

Followup chest radiography 2 weeks after systemic steroid therapy showed improved both pleural effusion and resolution of pulmonary infiltration. No active lung consolidations.

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