Screening for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease using lung ultrasound: a systematic review and quality appraisal of recent studies

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) associated with systemic autoimmune disease can have a strong negative impact on patient outcomes. The diagnostic gold standard is high-resolution computer tomography (HRCT). Numerous studies have proven lung ultrasound's (LUS) utility in ILD, as well as other lung pathologies. Recently, there has been more focus on ILD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a previously overlooked complication, and screening methods. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the recent knowledge regarding LUS compared to HRCT in screening ILD in RA patients. We reviewed relevant literature from the last 10 years and selected 10 articles. Results show that LUS is effective compared to HRCT as a screening tool. Several diagnostic and severity scores have been elaborated and tested. Further focus should be on LUS in long-term follow-up and standardization of protocols.