Rheumatology
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Review Meta Analysis
Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and cancer risk: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
A higher incidence of cancer in scleroderma patients compared with the general population has been suggested by several observational studies, reporting, however, different estimates. Therefore, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to definitely assess this association. ⋯ The present meta-analysis, the first on scleroderma and cancer risk, provides definite estimates on the association between scleroderma and cancer.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose oral prednisolone for treating painful hand osteoarthritis.
Anti-inflammatory therapies are effective analgesics for OA. This study determined whether low-dose oral prednisolone (PNL) was an effective analgesic for hand OA. ⋯ This is the first randomized controlled trial of low-dose corticosteroid alone for painful hand OA, which demonstrated that short-term low-dose oral PNL is not an effective analgesic treatment for hand OA.
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To critically review the evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of practitioner-based complementary therapies for patients with osteoarthritis. We excluded t'ai chi and acupuncture, which have been the subject of recent reviews. ⋯ There is not sufficient evidence to recommend any of the practitioner-based complementary therapies considered here for the management of OA, but neither is there sufficient evidence to conclude that they are not effective or efficacious.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The early psoriatic arthritis screening questionnaire: a simple and fast method for the identification of arthritis in patients with psoriasis.
Dermatologists usually see patients with psoriasis before arthritis develops, making them well placed to diagnose early PsA (ePsA). This study aimed to develop a rapid and robust screening questionnaire for predicting PsA in patients with psoriasis referred to a specialized joint dermatology-rheumatology combined clinic. ⋯ The EARP questionnaire is simple and fast to administer and proved robust for the identification of PsA in the dermatological setting. Dermatologists should consider the EARP for patients attending clinics, as it correlates well with early PsA diagnosis.