Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis and rheumatoid arthritis treated with prednisolone

A 62-year-old woman with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was examined at our hospital for a 2-week history of non-resolving fever, cough and malaise. Her chest radiograph revealed left lower lobe opacity. Various kinds of antibiotics were not effective and transbronchial biopsy revealed non-specific inflammatory alveolar lesions. Chest radiograph at 14 days after admission revealed migration of the pulmonary opacity, suggesting bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP), which responded well clinically and radiologically to oral corticosteroid therapy. BOOP may be one of the possible non-hepatic complications of PBC especially in patients associated with other connective tissue diseases. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.