April 2024 Medical Image of the Month: Wind Instruments Player Exhibiting Exceptional Pulmonary Function

Abstract

No abstract available. Manuscript truncated after 150 words. A 64-year-old man was referred to our pulmonary clinic for evaluation of his pulmonary status. He had a 7-year history of rheumatoid arthritis and was treated initially with steroids and subsequently maintained on methotrexate and monthly adalimumab injections monthly. The patient reported that his rheumatoid arthritis symptoms were controlled. He experienced no joint pain or morning stiffness at the time of evaluation. From a pulmonary perspective, he denied respiratory symptoms such as exertional shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, or chest tightness. He reported no limitations in physical activities. The patient has an occupational history of 45-years as a welder, with exposure to dust, metal fumes, benzene, and sulfur gas. The patient also has a 15 pack-year smoking history but quit 35 years ago. A high-resolution chest CT (Figure 1) ordered by his rheumatologist showed normal lung parenchyma. The first pulmonary function test (PFT), conducted on the initial pulmonary clinic visit …

Keywords

• musician
• woodwind instrument
• pulmonary function testing
• rheumatoid arthritis
• methotrexate
• welder
• musical instrument
• wind instrument
• saxophone
• harmonica