Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Dec 2011
ReviewA systematic review and mixed treatment comparison of the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for fibromyalgia.
To review the literature on pharmacological treatments for fibromyalgia. ⋯ The current study confirms the therapeutic efficacy of pregabalin and the SNRIs, duloxetine and milnacipran, in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Given their different modes of action, combination therapy with pregabalin plus an SNRI should be investigated in future research.
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Dec 2011
ReviewNew concepts in pain research and pain management of the rheumatic diseases.
To provide an update on advances in pain research and practical guidelines for pain management in the rheumatic diseases. ⋯ Fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic widespread pain have taught us important lessons about pain epidemiology and pain pathways.
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Dec 2011
Case ReportsVasculopathy, hematological, and immune abnormalities associated with levamisole-contaminated cocaine use.
To report 4 cases of cocaine-related purpura and to review previously reported cases of levamisole, levamisole-contaminated cocaine, and cocaine-induced vasculopathy. ⋯ Adulterated cocaine abuse is an increasingly recognized phenomenon in North America. Levamisole is among the many contaminants that have been detected in seized cocaine throughout North America and Europe. Recent reports described an association between levamisole-tainted cocaine and purpuric skin rash, neutropenia, and the presence of autoantibodies.
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Dec 2011
Risk, predictors, and clinical characteristics of lymphoma development in primary Sjögren's syndrome.
To assess the risk and predictors of lymphoma development in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). ⋯ Patients with pSS have a 16-fold increased risk of developing lymphoma. This risk increases with time. Hypocomplementemia and lymphocytopenia at pSS diagnosis are the strongest predictors. Survival is clearly reduced in patients with hypocomplementemia. Indolent lymphomas tend to evolve over time toward a more aggressive histologic type.