LAUSR

Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is of high clinical relevance. It not only affects the quality of life but also makes a significant contribution to the mortality rate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. RA-ILD can present with all known radiological and histopathological patterns seen in other interstitial pneumonias. Among these pneumonias, diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), followed by usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) has the worst prognosis. In addition, acute exacerbation of RA-ILD, which can occur at any time during the disease, is highly lethal. An algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of RA-ILD is pending and will be addressed in the following article. In addition to immunosuppressants and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD), antifibrotics have recently gained importance in the therapy of RA-ILD.