Scandinavian journal of rheumatology
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1997
Increased concentrations of homocysteine in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Twelve outpatients, all women, who fulfilled the criteria for both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome were rated on 15 items of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS-15). These items were chosen to constitute a proper neurasthenic subscale. Blood laboratory levels were generally normal. ⋯ The correlations between vitamin B12 and clinical variables of the CPRS-scale in this study indicate that low CSF-B12 values are of clinical importance. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes a deficient remethylation of HCY and is therefore probably contributing to the increased homocysteine levels found in our patient group. We conclude that increased homocysteine levels in the central nervous system characterize patients fulfilling the criteria for both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1997
Comparative StudyCold pressor pain: comparing responses of juvenile arthritis patients and their parents.
The objective of this study was to compare the reactions to experimental cold pressor pain of Juvenile Arthritis (JA) patients, healthy children, and their parents. ⋯ The results suggest that JA patients may differ from healthy children with regard to their responses to experimental pain, and that pain responses of both JA patients and healthy children could be related to the pain response of their parents.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1997
Case ReportsSLE with death from acute massive pulmonary hemorrhage caused by disseminated strongyloidiasis.
We describe a case of disseminated strongyloidiasis involving a female patient with active systemic erythematosus (SLE). The cause of death was massive pulmonary hemorrhage induced by a filariform larvae infection. This was initially diagnosed during examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid just 2 days before her death. The case indicated that immunosuppressed individuals would be paid attention to possible parasitic infection prior to starting therapy even in non-endemic areas as well as other microorganisms.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1996
Comparative StudyTechnetium-99m labelled human immunoglobulin scintigraphy predicts rheumatoid arthritis in patients with arthralgia.
The ability of 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy to predict the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 47 patients with arthralgia was investigated. 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy and the serum test for rheumatoid factor (RF), measured at the beginning of a year long study, were compared for their ability to predict RA. During the study 8 patients developed RA. ⋯ The sensitivity and negative predictive values of RF were 100% and of 99mTc-IgG-scintigraphy 88% and 97% respectively. In conclusion, 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy has additional value to RF with respect to the prediction of the development of RA in patients with arthralgia.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1996
Spondylodiscitis in ankylosing spondylitis, inflammation or trauma? A description of six cases.
An uncommon, but well recognised complication of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is spondylodiscitis, a destructive discovertebral lesion also called the Andersson lesion. We describe six cases, with variable clinical presentation and radiological appearance. Two had multiple lesions, in one patient spondylodiscitis was the presenting symptom of AS. ⋯ In two cases histopathology was studied and suggested sterile inflammation as the main etiologic factor. The literature is reviewed regarding the mechanisms that may contribute to these lesions: mainly inflammatory like increasing enthesopathy or mainly mechanical like pseudoarthrosis about a fracture site. It may be that both mechanisms can result in similar destructive intervertebral disc lesions.