Interstitial lung disease as the initial manifestation of Systemic Sclerosis: first case reported in Lome

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most frequent pulmonary complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and the leading cause of death in people with SSc. ILD appears usually in the frst years of the disease but rarely the primary manifestation. In this report, we describe a never-smoker female presenting with exertional dyspnea, and non-productive cough of two years’ duration that demonstrated ILD on thoracic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). After six months, she was diagnosed with limited cutaneous SSc based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. This case report is a reminder of the importance of actively seeking potentially treatable causes of ILD.

PDF