Modern rheumatology
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Modern rheumatology · Mar 2014
Case ReportsFavorable outcome with hemoperfusion of polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column for rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia associated with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis: report of three cases.
We present 3 cases of rapidly progressive interstitial pneumonia (RPIP) associated with clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (C-ADM) that were treated with two courses of direct hemoperfusion with polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX-DHP). Despite initial treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, pulsed cyclophosphamide, and cyclosporine, the lung disease and hypoxemia deteriorated in all the patients. After PMX-DHP treatment, the PaO2/FiO2 ratio and serum LDH and KL-6 were improved, the abnormal shadows in chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans gradually decreased, and, finally, all patients survived. These findings indicate that PMX-DHP treatment could be effective in the management of RPIP in patients with C-ADM in combination with conventional therapy.
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Modern rheumatology · Mar 2014
Prevalence of low back pain as the primary pain site and factors associated with low health-related quality of life in a large Japanese population: a pain-associated cross-sectional epidemiological survey.
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, magnitude, and direction of the associations among disability, pain intensity, number of pain sites, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients reporting low back pain (LBP) as their primary pain. ⋯ Approximately 13.5 % of patients reported LBP as their primary pain. Disability with absence from social activity and ≥7 pain sites were strongly associated with low HRQoL.