Patients with collagen vascular disease and dyspnea. The value of gallium scanning and bronchoalveolar lavage in predicting response to steroid therapy and clinical outcome

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Chest; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.91.5.698· OSTI ID:6331730

Greene, N B; Solinger, A M; Baughman, R P

Patients with collagen vascular disease with or without pulmonary symptoms were studied to determine the value of gallium scan and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in predicting clinical outcome and response to steroid therapy. Thirty-six subjects, 20 with progressive dyspnea, were studied. Gallium uptake was seen in the lung in 17 of the 20 progressively dyspneic patient's and none of the 16 nonprogressive patients. The BAL fluid in the progressive patients had a higher percentage of neutrophils (13.4 percent +/- 2.88) and lymphocytes (16.1 percent +/- 2.75) than in the nonprogressive patients (neutrophils = 3.3 +/- 1.30 percent; lymphocytes = 5.6 +/- 1.57 percent. Of the 19 progressive patients who were treated with steroids or cyclophosphamide, six had only increased neutrophils in their BAL fluid and all died. The remaining 13 treated progressive patients had increased lymphocytes or a normal BAL (two patients): six had improvement in their vital capacity, six have had stable function, and one died. We found gallium scan and BAL useful in assessing progressive pulmonary fibrosis in collagen vascular disease.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Cincinnati, OH
• OSTI ID: 6331730
• Journal Information: Chest; (United States), Vol. 5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
LUNGS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
VASCULAR DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
BRONCHI
FIBROSIS
GALLIUM
LAVAGE
LYMPHOCYTES
NEUTROPHILS
PREDNISONE
RESPIRATION
ADRENAL HORMONES
ANIMAL CELLS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
CORTICOSTEROIDS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
HORMONES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
LEUKOCYTES
MATERIALS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PREGNANES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SOMATIC CELLS
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics