Correct!
1. UC can be associated with airway disease including bronchitis, bronchiolitis and bronchiectasis

UC-related lung disease is not rare. In a prior study of 563 patients with UC followed for a mean period of 77 months, 5% of patients demonstrated UC-related lung disease including:

1. Airway disease (2.3%) including bronchitis, bronchiolitis and bronchiectasis;
2. Organizing pneumonia (1.8%);
3. Interstitial pneumonitis (1.1%) (1).

Ustekinumab (Stelara) which the patient had previously received has been associated with lung toxicity (2). Therefore, in patients with UC who develop evidence of parenchymal lung disease medication-induced lung toxicity needs to be considered. Although this patient had previously been on ustekinumab and her prior episode of respiratory failure was attributed to this medication, this treatment had been discontinued and she was not being treated with any medication associated with lung toxicity.

UC-associated organizing pneumonia may occur in patients who have had a prior colectomy and may occur despite seemingly well-controlled UC (3). UC-associated organizing pneumonia typically responds well to corticosteroid treatment as was the case in our patient although recurrences are reported.

References

1. Moda M, Suga M, Kasai S, Okochi Y, Yoshimura N, Fukata M, Tokuda H. Incidence, Characteristics, Clinical Course, and Risk Factors of UC-related Lung Diseases. Chest. 2022 Dec;162(6):1310-1323. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. Despotes KA, Vigeland CL. Stelara struck: a case of noninfectious pneumonitis secondary to ustekinumab. BMC Pulm Med. 2022 Jul 19;22(1):280. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. Pereira S Sr, Sousa D, Esteves AL, Constante M, Reis R. Organizing Pneumonia and UC: A Relationship To Remember. Cureus. 2023 Mar 20;15(3):e36396. [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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