J Rheumatol
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To evaluate the frequency of vasculitis, mainly in the forms of Henoch-Schönlein purpura and polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and to investigate the presence of occult blood in the first stool specimens after an abdominal attack in Turkish patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). ⋯ Vasculitis seems to be an important but not a widely recognized feature of FMF.
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Case Reports
A potentially underrecognized and treatable cause of chronic back pain: entrapment neuropathy of the cluneal nerves.
We describe a case of longstanding low back pain related to entrapment neuropathy of the L1-L2 dorsal ramus over the iliac crest. As 3 local anesthetic pain blocks (at the trigger point, 7 cm left of the L5 spine process and just above the iliac crest) were successful for 3 weeks each, a surgical procedure was performed. This corrected patient stricture of a voluminous dorsal ramus within a rigid osteofibrous orifice between the upper rim of the iliac crest and the thoracolumbar fascia. Pain decreased dramatically the same day and disappeared completely within less than a week.
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To define differences in digital vascular responses to cooling and to determine their usefulness for the differential diagnosis of 4 groups of subjects: patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) (n = 96), patients with RP associated with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc) spectrum disorders (SSc spectrum RP) (n = 108), subjects complaining of cold sensitivity of the fingers (n = 88), and RP negative controls (n = 120). ⋯ The digital pressure response to cooling is a useful test for RP and cold sensitive subjects. It has high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate between SSc spectrum RP and primary RP and between primary RP and cold sensitive subjects. Our preliminary data on vasodilator use suggest that the digital pressure response to cooling may also be useful in RP treatment studies.
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Multicenter Study
The incidence of pediatric rheumatic diseases: results from the Canadian Pediatric Rheumatology Association Disease Registry.
To determine the incidence of rheumatic diseases in children, and the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders seen by pediatric rheumatology specialists in Canada. ⋯ Pediatric rheumatologists see children with a wide variety of diseases. It is important that pediatric rheumatology training reflects this and does not focus exclusively on the classical inflammatory arthropathies. The minimum incidence data show there are substantial numbers of children developing potentially lifelong chronic rheumatic diseases each year in Canada. These data should be helpful in planning the delivery of pediatric rheumatology services not only in Canada, but also in other developed countries.
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To study the prevalence of joint hypermobility and the association of hypermobility with musculoskeletal pain in pre-adolescents. ⋯ Both joint hypermobility and musculoskeletal pain are common in pre-adolescents. Hypermobility appears not to be a contributing factor to musculoskeletal pain in pre-adolescents.