Rheumatology international
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Case Reports
Presenting manifestations of hemophagocytic syndrome in a male patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is an unusual but sometimes fatal disorder. We reported a case of 21-year-old man who developed HPS and SLE simultaneously. ⋯ The patient was treated with high-dose prednisolone, resulting in an excellent outcome. Early diagnosis of HPS by bone marrow biopsy is important for the successful treatment.
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The objective is to develop a Turkish version of the foot and ankle outcome score (FAOS) and to investigate its validity and reliability. The Turkish version of FAOS was developed after the translation and back-translation. The translated version was pretested on 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. ⋯ The Turkish FAOS correlated with the SF-36 and AIMS2 scales. The Turkish version of FAOS was valid and reliable instrument to assess the foot and ankle related problems. However, to assess its responsiveness further studies are needed.
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The objectives of this study are autoinflammatory syndromes which are usually characterized by repeated attacks of fever, especially in children. The presentation of these diseases, however, varies between entities and between patients of a particular syndrome. We report a 16-year-old female patient, who suffered from periodic erythema and myositis/fasciitis. ⋯ Long-term anti-inflammatory treatment with etanercept resulted in a significant clinical improvement and reduction of the inflammatory parameters ESR, CRP, interleukin-6, TNF-α, and soluble TNF-α receptor 1, but not of interleukin-12. Monitoring of the cytokine profile suggested partial effectiveness of etanercept in the treatment of TRAPS. Hereditary fever syndromes have to be considered in case of chronic unexplained inflammation even if fever is no presenting symptom.
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Review Case Reports
Primary central nervous system vasculitis mimicking brain tumour: case report and literature review.
Primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV) is a rare inflammatory disease causing significant morbidity and mortality. We present a detailed history and clinical course of a patient with PCNSV along with a literature review. A 50-year-old Chinese female presented with a 6-month history of mild to moderate headache and sudden onset of visual loss. ⋯ Steroid and immunosuppressive therapy dramatically improved the patient's condition. Our report highlights the importance of considering PCNSV as a differential diagnosis in patients who are suspected with encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral haemorrhage, cerebral thrombus, leukoencephalopathy, or brain tumour, etc. while their clinical presentations are exceptionally so changeable. This case also gives emphasis to the value of a brain biopsy in consolidating the diagnosis, and the efficacy of steroid and immunosuppressive therapy in PCNSV.
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The objectives of the study were identification, quality evaluation and summary of RCTs on complementary and alternative medicine as defined by the National Institute of Health with the exception of dietary and nutritional supplements. A computerized search of databases from 1990 (year of publication of the ACR criteria for fibromyalgia) to July 2007 was performed. The RCTs were assessed by a methodological quality score. ⋯ Mindfulness meditation showed mostly positive results in two trials and acupuncture mixed results in multiple trials with a tendency toward positive results. Tendencies for improvement were furthermore noted in single trials of the Mesendieck system, connective tissue massage and to some degree for osteopathy and magnet therapy. No positive evidence could be identified for Qi Gong, biofeedback, and body awareness therapy.