Characteristics of Connective Tissue Diseases Interstitial Lung Diseases (CTD-ILD) Presenting in a Tertiary Care Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51985/JBUMDC2025757Keywords:
Autoimmune Disorders; Connective Tissue Diseases; Interstitial Lung Diseases; Rheumatoid Arthritis; SystemicAbstract
bjective: To determine the characteristics of connective tissue diseases–interstitial lung diseases (CTD-ILD) presenting
in a tertiary care hospital.
Study design and setting: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pulmonology, Ojha
Institute of Chest Disease, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from 11th February 2025 till 26th July 2025.
Methodology: For 6 months study patients aged 18–80 years diagnosed with ILD on the basis of clinical presentation and
radiological features were included. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was performed to confirm ILD, while
connective tissue disease diagnoses were based on clinical criteria. Demographic data, clinical features, comorbidities, and
HRCT findings were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Frequencies, percentages, and mean ± SD were
calculated. Chi-square test was applied for categorical variables with p = 0.05 considered significant.
Results: Among 54 CTD-ILD patients (mean age 51.9 ± 12.4 years, 70.4% females), rheumatoid arthritis (53.7%) was
the most common underlying disease. Honeycombing (87.0%) and septal thickening (75.9%) were the predominant HRCT
abnormalities. On stratified analysis, diabetes mellitus (p = 0.026) and smoking (p = 0.021) were more frequent in RAILD. Younger patients (18–40 years) more often had IPAF and SLE compared to older patients (p = 0.002).
Conclusion: RA was the main cause of CTD-ILD, with honeycombing and septal thickening as key HRCT patterns. CTDILD subtypes were significantly linked to diabetes, smoking, septal thickening, and age.
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