Pleural effusion as a predictor of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and mortality in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies
Authors' conclusion
Pleural effusion showed a significant positive association with severe phenotypes of ILD and was the powerful predictor of RP-ILD in IIM-ILD. Furthermore, pleural effusion could reveal adverse disease phenotypes with higher systemic inflammatory level and predict higher mortality independently in IIM.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM)
- Participants
- 158 consecutive patients
- Exposure
- IIM with pleural effusion vs without pleural effusion
- Pleural effusionn = 28
- Outcome
- Clinical significance of pleural effusion: RP-ILD and mortality
Methodological detailsconsecutive patients
- Consecutive patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Pleural effusion vs No pleural effusionHazard ratio (CI)P value
RP-ILD in IIM-ILD, independent predictor
7.863(2.160–28.617)
P = 0.002Mortality in IIM, independent predictor
5.05(1.633–15.62)
P = 0.005Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of pleural effusion and interstitial lung disease (ILD)
- Pleural effusion in IIM
- 28 (17.7%)
- ILD in IIM
- 125 (79.1%)
- Pleural effusion among IIM-ILD
- 26 (20.8%)
Clinical features associated with pleural effusion
- Pleural effusion associated with more fever, elevated WBC count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, CRP and ESR, reduced lymphocyte percentage
- Pleural effusion associated with more ILD, lower lung zone consolidation, pericardial effusion and rapidly progressive ILD (RP-ILD), higher high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score, lower HB and albumin
Original publication
Pleural effusion as a predictor of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and mortality in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 9 December 2023. doi:10.
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