Resumo

TAGLE, Martín; BARRIGA, José  e  PINEIRO, Andrés. Enfermedad de Crohn Asociada a Lesión Pulmonar Focal. Rev. gastroenterol. Perú [online]. 2003, vol.23, n.4, pp.293-296. ISSN 1022-5129.

40 year-old male recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. A routine chest X ray showed a round, well defined opacity in right lung field. A chest CT scan confirmed the finding and also described bronchiectasis. Patient had no respiratory symptoms. He was prescribed with oral sulfasalazine and corticosteroids with rapid improvement of intestinal symptoms as well as resolution of the pulmonary opacity. We describe the clinical presentation of a male newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease who was found to have an asymptomatic pulmonary lesion on imaging studies. Pulmonary complications have been previously described in inflamatory bowel disease being more common in ulcerative colitis than in Crohn's disease; these can involve the lung parenchyma, the tracheobronchial tree, and the pleura. The true prevalence and etiology of these lesions is currently unknown and are not necessarily associated with bowel disease activity. Abnormal pulmonary functions test have been reported during inflammatory bowel disease exacerbations, and although pulmonary findings can present with a variety of symptoms, subclinical presentations have also been described. Pulmonary manifestations are usually steoid-responsive, as was the case in our patients.