The role of the pulmonary function laboratory to assist in disease management: connective tissue diseases.

The article discusses the role of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in managing connective tissue diseases (CTDs) that affect the respiratory system. PFTs can help recognize respiratory involvement and assist in the management of CTDs. The most common respiratory complications of CTDs are interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary hypertension, but other manifestations such as airway disease, pleurisy, and respiratory muscle weakness can also occur. Different CTDs have specific patterns of respiratory involvement, and routine PFTs are recommended to assess progression in CTD-ILD. The article emphasizes the importance of interpreting testing results in conjunction with clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings. [Extracted from the article]