Rheumatoid arthritis and the pulmonary nodule.

The potential difficulties offered by the presence of a solitary pulmonary nodule in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis are illustrated by a male non-smoker with clinical, serologic and radiographic rheumatoid arthritis, active and fibrosing alveolitis and a new lung nodule. This nodule proved to be squamous cell carcinoma without the typical risk factors. The findings of a solitary pulmonary density or nodule in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis provides no assurance that the lesion is benign. Both necrobiotic nodules and lung cancer may present as solitary pulmonary nodules in patients with this autoimmune disease.