Pulmonary nodules in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: Which diagnostic approach is the most appropriate?

Background: pulmonary nodular excavation should firstly evoke tuberculosis or necrosis broncho-pulmonary tumor,particularly: epidermoid carcinoma. the case discussed here illustrated these difficulties in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (ra). case presentation: a 63-year-old woman was presented with a-three-year history of ra and a recent discovery of an excavated pulmonary nodule. initial investigations focused on a rheumatoid origin. the evolution of the disease was worrisome and surgical exploration was deemed mandatory. the result was the discovery of a nodule of a malignant nature. conclusion: in this paper,we discussed the excavation of the pulmonary nodule,its diagnoses and management of the difficulties we encountered.