Caplan Syndrome

Excerpt

Caplan syndrome was first described in 1953 by Dr. Anthony Caplan, a provider on the Cardiff pneumoconiosis panel, as radiologic evidence of intrapulmonary nodules in coal miners with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is also called rheumatoid pneumoconiosis. It is a combination of rheumatoid arthritis and pneumoconiosis that manifests as intrapulmonary nodules, which appear well-defined and homogenous on chest x-ray. It is defined as lung nodules in dust-exposed personnel, either with a history of rheumatoid arthritis or develops RA after 5-10 years. There are multiple nodules varying in size from 0.5 to 5 centimeters. The nodules may grow, remain unchanged, disappear, and then reappear. These nodules can cavitate, calcify or develop air-fluid levels.