Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; complications ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pleurisy ; complications ; diagnosis ; Sweet Syndrome ; diagnosis ; etiology

No abstract available.
Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications/diagnosis ; Female ; Hand/pathology ; Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathies/*complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Rheumatoid Factor/blood

Retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis is defined as inflammation of the longus colli muscle and is caused by the deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals, which usually involves the superior oblique fibers of the longus colli muscle from C1-3. Diagnosis is usually made by detecting amorphous calcification and prevertebral soft tissue swelling on radiograph, CT or MRI. In this report, we introduce a case of this disease which was misdiagnosed as a retropharyngeal tuberculous abscess, or a muscle strain of the ongus colli muscle. No calcifications were visible along the vertical fibers of the longus colli muscle. The lesion was located anterior to the C4-5 disc, in a rheumatoid arthritis patient with atlantoaxial subluxation. Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli muscle at this location in a rheumatoid arthritis patient has not been reported in the English literature.
Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications ; Atlanto-Axial Joint/*physiopathology ; Calcinosis/*complications/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dislocations/*complications ; Female ; Humans ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pharyngeal Diseases/*complications/*diagnosis ; Tendinopathy/*complications/*diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo explore features of Chinese medical syndrome types in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients accompanied depressive symptoms.

METHODSThe degree of depressive symptoms was assessed in 263 RA patients using self-rating depression scale (SDS). The correlation between depressive symptoms and modified Disease Activity Score (DAS28) were analyzed. The features of Chinese medical syndrome types of RA patients accompanied with depressive symptoms were also assessed.

RESULTSThe percentage of these patients of sputum-stasis obstruction syndrome (SSOS) was 47.2% and that of qi-blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS) was 45.8%, obvious higher than that of other groups (P < 0.05). DAS28 score was higher and their course of the disease was longer in RA patients accompanied with depressive symptoms. But there was no obvious difference in age. There were more RA patients with depressive symptoms holding higher levels of certificate than those holding lower levels of certificate.

CONCLUSIONSThere was certain correlation between Chinese medical syndrome types and depressive symptoms in RA patients. RA patients of SSOS and QBDS were easier to suffer from depressive symptoms. Higher DAS28, longer course of the disease, and holding higher levels of certificate might be three risk factors for RA patients accompanied with depressive symptoms.

Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; complications ; diagnosis ; psychology ; Depression ; complications ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

Femoral mononeuropathy (FMN) as an extraarticular finding of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a phenomenon which has not been reported previously. We report a 53-year-old female patient with RA, presenting FMN findings during the course of the disease. On examination, right quadriceps and iliopsoas muscles showed grade 3 weakness on the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Sensory examination revealed sensory loss in the right medial leg and thigh. Patellar tendon reflex was absent in the right side. A diagnosis of a partial right femoral neuropathy was confirmed using nerve conduction study and electromyography. The probable mechanism of FMN was thought to be vasculitis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications/radiography ; Electromyography ; Female ; Femoral Neuropathy/complications/*diagnosis/therapy ; Hand/radiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neural Conduction

Baker's cysts are rare cause of peripheral nerve entrapment and only a few cases of tibial nerve entrapment resulting from the popliteal cyst in the calf muscle have been reported in the literature. We present a case of rheumatoid arthritis complicated by a Baker's cyst with a tibial nerve entrapment. It is important to diagnose a Baker's cyst early and to differentiate it from thrombophlebitis, a popliteal aneurysm, tumor or muscle tear to effect optimal therapy and to obviate a potential neuropathy. Prompt recognition of these cases may save the patients unnecessary procedures and delay in treatment.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/diagnosis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications ; Biopsy, Needle ; Case Report ; Electromyography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Age ; Popliteal Cyst/surgery ; Popliteal Cyst/diagnosis ; Popliteal Cyst/complications+ACo- ; Tibial Neuropathy/etiology+ACo- ; Tibial Neuropathy/diagnosis ; Treatment Outcome

The aim of the present study was to identify the influence of vertebral fracture (VF) on the functional disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study consecutively enrolled 100 female patients aged 50 yr or older with RA. All participants underwent lateral imaging of the thoracolumbar spine by simple radiography to identify any VFs. They also completed questionnaires via interview regarding demographics, medical history, and disease outcomes including functional disability. We used univariate analysis to evaluate associations between functional disability and VF, and made multivariate logistic regression models to test independent effect of the presence of VF, the number of VFs, and the severity of VF on functional disability. Among the 100 RA patients, 47 had at least one VF, but 34 of them were asymptomatic that they had experienced a fracture. The multiple VFs > or = 3 (OR, 8.95; 95% CI, 1.77-44.15, P = 0.01) and moderate or severe VF (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.26-9.04, P = 0.02) were related to disability in univariate analysis. The multiple VFs > or = 3 (OR, 6.13; 95% CI, 1.02-36.94, P = 0.048) was associated with functional disability of RA patients after adjusting various confounders and it was mainly in walking and arising. The VF might be an important factor which affects functional disability in RA patients.
Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications/*diagnosis ; Demography ; *Disability Evaluation ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Questionnaires ; Spinal Fractures/complications/*diagnosis/radiography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the agreement between the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-Gold) test and the tuberculin skin test (TST) in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared with healthy controls, in Korea. METHODS: We recruited 64 patients with RA and 79 healthy controls at two university hospitals in South Korea. The participants underwent both the QFT-Gold test and the TST simultaneously between August 2006 and February 2009. All patients were diagnosed using the classification criteria for RA revised in 1987 by the American College of Rheumatology. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccination status and current medications were evaluated, and disease activities were assessed using the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints. Eleven patients with RA produced indeterminate QFT-Gold test results and were thus excluded from the kappa analysis. RESULTS: Based on an induration of 10 mm in diameter as the TST cutoff value, the QFT-Gold test and TST demonstrated 75.0% agreement (kappa = 0.23) in patients with RA and 75.9% agreement (kappa = 0.19) in healthy controls. Among the 56 patients with RA who had negative TST results, 11 patients (17.2%) also yielded indeterminate QFT-Gold results. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed poor agreement between the results of the QFT-Gold test and the TST in both RA patients and healthy controls. Based on these findings, we emphasize the importance of making clinical decisions in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis in Koreans with or without RA.
Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests/*statistics & numerical data ; Latent Tuberculosis/complications/*diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tuberculin Test/*statistics & numerical data

Antirheumatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; complications ; drug therapy ; Atlanto-Axial Joint ; injuries ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; etiology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Syringomyelia ; diagnosis ; etiology ; physiopathology

Supracondylar fractures of the femur following total knee arthroplasty are rare complication with reported rates ranging from 0.3% to 2.5%. Union of the fracture in proper alignment, without disruption of prosthetic component fixation and with maintenance of 90 of knee motion, is impotant in treatment of this type of fracture. Modalties of treatment are conservative or operative methods and operative treatment are open reduction 4 internal fixation, intramedullary nailing, revision arthroplasty using a prosthesis with a long stem and closed reduction and external fixation, but there are controversies in the method of treatment. Between Apr. 1989 and Jul. 1994, 10 patients were treated for supracondylar fracture of the ipsilaterai femur following total knee atthroplasty and 2 cases of them had arthrop]asty at other hospital. Average age of patients was 53 years (29-68 years), nine patients were women and one was man. The preoperative diagnosis was rheumatoid arthritis in four, degenerative osteoaithritis in three, posttraumatic osteoarthritis in one and tuberculosis sequelae of the knee in two. In nine cases mechanism of injury were slip down and in one was fall down. The interval hetween arthroplasty and fracture was an average of 22 months (9-79months). Two cases we.re treated with closed reduction and cast immobilization, one case was treated with open eduction and in1ernal fixation and seven patients of' ten cases were treated with closed intramedullay Ender nailing. The average foIlow-up period after fracture was 25 months (3 - 74months). We evaluated the results as the range of motion, bony union at simple radiograph and Knee Rating Score of Hospital for Special Surgery at last follow up. Eight cases of supracondylar fracture occuned among 350 patients, 514 cases of total knee arthroplasty which were operated at Kyung Hee Univcrsity Hospital between Apr. 1989 and Jul. 1994 and incidence was 1.6%. At the last follow up, all 10 cases achieved bony union and 7 cases using Ender naiIing achieved clinical bony union which enabled patients to do weight-bearing without pain at postoperative 6-8 weeks and radiological union was achieved at postoperative 12 weeks. Range of motion were average 105 degrees (80 J.20 degrees) hefore fracture and 86 degrees (6S 120 degrees) at the last follow up and HSS Knee rating score were average 80.3 points (59 94 points) before fracture and average 78.8 points (66-89 points) at the last follow up. At 7 cases using Ender nailing, range of motion were average 106 degrees (90 11S degrees) hefore fracture and 91 degrees (6S-105 degrees) at last follow up and HSS Knee rating score were average 80.6 points (59-94 points) before fracture and average 80.3 points (72-89 poiints) at the last follow up. Closed iintramedullary Ender nailing is a gecommendable operative method in the treatment of supracondylar fracture following total knee arthroplasty considering to good bony union, satisfactory functional result, easy operative technique and less postoperative complication.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthroplasty* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Incidence ; Knee* ; Osteoarthritis ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostheses and Implants ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Tuberculosis ; Weight-Bearing