Lung involvement symmetrical?

[chrisTIn@]

Can Wegs lung-involvement or -damage manifest itself in just one lung?

I have pain in one shoulder and some trouble breathing, with pain on the left side of my lungs.
My GP ordered an X-ray, which shows 'something' in de left top of the lung or (left-)shoulder.
Can also be arthrosis, says GP.
Next week I will have a CT-scan.

[Dirty Don]

Can Wegs lung-involvement or -damage manifest itself in just one lung?

Yes, it can. My initial X-rays showed massive involvement, but the resultant damage was 3% in the lower right lobe...I'm sure it varies. Best of luck.

[chrisTIn@]

Thanks for your answer.
It puzzles me. My initial x-ray in 2010 showed no lung-involvement, but maybe at that point there was already.
I read (don't remember were) that 40 % of Wegs-patients with 'clean' x-ray showed lung-involvement when CT-scan was made.

My bloodwork was good, when I visited vasculitis-clinic las time (february), and I am in a non-medicated remission.
Only that shoulder pain!!!! (Months and months of physiotherapy helped initially).
The question is now: Wegs involvement or something else?

[drz]

Non-medicated remission is simply great!!!

[annekat]

Chris, I'm another one of the 40% with a "clean" xray, although the doc on second glance saw something slight and ordered a CT scan, which showed the numerous cavitary lesions that suggested WG. Scary, but not as bad as some people's lung involvement, and no active disease there now. Congrats on the non-medicated remission! And I hope this shoulder/upper lung issue of yours turns out to be something else and something treatable.

[Psyborg]

I have completely clear lungs...my issue is in the left main Bronch. So yes to the asymetry And it definitely makes for breathing issues, so if the xrays are clear you might want to inquire about a brochoscopy to ensure it's not in the bronchial area. X-Rays seem to be completely unable to see anything, I went a long time before the figured out where my damage was that was causing breathing issues because I didn't show the classic broken glass thing on xrays.

[Alysia]

Hi,
it can be assymetrical.
can it be joint pain ?
when my lungs were inflamed, I had strange phenomenon: my palms where red, kind of wide spot in each palm according to the inflamation: in the side that was more inflamed there was wider red spot on that side's palm. as the inflamation lessened, the spots lessened correspondingly.
I hope you will soon find what it is and feel better !

[chrisTIn@]

This morning I got a phonecall from the hospital. They can have me for a CT-scan tomorrow already!
Thought I would have to wait 4 'office-days' for the creatinine-levels that they checked yesterday, but the results were already in, and within normal range.

Bob, can bronchial involvement not be shown on CT-scan then?

...you might want to inquire about a brochoscopy to ensure it's not in the bronchial area

[Psyborg]

Mine didn't show up until the noticed it on the bronchoscopy...but I'm not sure if my involvement is in any way normal. Mine destroyed the cartilage around the Bronch so it is no longer rigid. But it is hard to see without being inside and seeing what its doing.

[chrisTIn@]

Thanks for answering. I hope whatever there's inside my lungs or bronchs (is this the right word?) shows up with the CT-scan, that has 200 times as much radiation as a normal X-ray.
I was told a bronchoscopy is quite a painfull experience. Some people called it 'a near death experience'. Did you feel the same?