Pulmonary damage associated with gold therapy. A report of two cases.

Two patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis developed respiratory symptoms during sodium aurothiomalate treatment. Chest radiographs showed bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates in both cases. In one patient the symptoms subsided and the chest radiograph became normal within 6 months after gold therapy was discontinued and steroids added. In the other patient the condition resulted in an irreversible lung damage.