Rheumatoid Arthritis: Complications

Key points

• A wide variety of extra-articular complications occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA):
• respiratory: pulmonary fibrosis, pleural effusion, pulmonary nodules, bronchiolitis obliterans, methotrexate pneumonitis, pleurisy
• ocular: keratoconjunctivitis sicca (most common), episcleritis, scleritis, corneal ulceration, keratitis, steroid- induced cataracts, chloroquine retinopathy
• ischaemic heart disease: RA carries a similar risk to type 2 diabetes mellitus
• increased risk of infections