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

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Pollard' s classification criteria(2010) for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients withfibromyalgia (FM) in Chinese patients, and to assess the clinical features and psychological status of RA-FM patients in a real-world observational setting. METHODS: Two hundred and two patients with rheumatoid arthritis were enrolled from the outpatients in Rheumatology and Immunology Department in Peking University People' s Hospital. All the patients were evaluated whether incorporating fibromyalgia translation occured using the 1990 American College of Rheumatolgy (ACR)-FM classification criteria. Forty two RA patients were concomitant with FM, while the other one hundred and sixty RA patients without FM were set as the control group. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in general demography between the two groups (P>0.05). In this study, the Pollard' s classification criteria (2010) for RA-FM in Chinese patients had a high sensitivity of 95.2% and relatively low specificity of 52.6%. Compared with those patients without FM, RA patients with FM (RA-FM patients) had higher Disease Activity Scale in 28 joints (DAS-28) score (5.95 vs. 4.38, P=0.011) and much more 28-tender joint counts (TJC) (16.5 vs.4.5, P < 0.001).RA-FM patients had worse Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score (1.24 vs. 0.66, P < 0.001) and lower SF-36 (28.63 vs. 58.22, P < 0.001). Fatigue was more common in RA-FM patients (88. 1% vs. 50.6%, P < 0.001) and the degree of fatigue was significantly increased in RA-FM patients (fatigue VAS 5.55 vs. 3.55, P < 0.001). RA-FM patients also had higher anxiety (10 vs.4, P < 0.001) and depression scores (12 vs.6, P < 0.001). erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), morning stiffness time and 28-swollen joint counts (SJC) showed no difference between these two groups. CONCLUSION The Pollard' s classification criteria (2010) for RA-FM are feasible in Chinese rheumatoid arthritis patients. The Pollard' s classification criteria is highly sensitive in clinical application, while the relativelylow specificity indicates that various factors need to be considered in combination. RA patients with FM result in higher disease activity, worse function aland psychological status. RA patients with FM also have poorer quality of life. DAS-28 scores may be overestimated in RA patients with FM. In a RA patient thatdoes not reach remission, the possibility of fibromyalgia should be con-sidered.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/diagnosis* ; Fatigue/etiology* ; Fibromyalgia/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Severity of Illness Index

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

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

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive inflammatory disease with severe symptoms of pain and stiffness. Chronic persistent inflammation of RA often leads to joint destruction, deformity and limitation of function, which ultimately results in significant deterioration of quality of life (QoL). RA is characterized pathogenetically by immunologically driven, chronic synovitis, and production of autoantibodies, such as rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies. Although the cause of RA is yet unknown, advances in the molecular biology led to in-depth understanding of its pathogenesis, and have fostered the recent development of novel treatments. The last decade has seen the dramatic change in the landscape of RA treatment with more aggressive therapy early in the disease course and with treatment guided by a structured assessment of disease activity, with the ultimate goal of reaching remission. In addition, prevention and control of joint damage and improvement in QoL are important goals. To achieve these goals, a multidisciplinary approach to reduce disease activity with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs and biological therapy is needed. We also need to find ways to identify those patients who are at risk for more rapid disease progression who would benefit from intensive therapy early in the course of disease.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*diagnosis/etiology/*therapy ; Biological Products/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/antagonists & inhibitors

We aimed to quantify periarticular osteoporosis and investigate its significance in 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 106 controls. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to determine the ratio of shaft to periarticular bone mineral density (BMD) as an index of periarticular demineralization. Periarticular osteoporosis was measured by conventional radiography. The BMDs of shaft and periarticular regions in eight designated areas on proximal phalanges were quantified. Clinical variables were examined to identify risk factors for periarticular osteoporosis. The assessment of periarticular osteoporosis on X-ray images reached a moderate degree of interobserver agreement among four physicians (k = 0.47). For BMD quantification, we designed three types of mathematical formulae: the ratio of shaft to periarticular BMD, the mean of the ratios, and the ratio of the sums. These ratios were significantly higher in the patients with early RA (disease duration < or = 3 yr) than in controls (P < 0.01). The findings were not as distinctive in patients with established RA. Body mass index, cumulative dose of corticosteroid, and C-terminal telopeptide were correlated with BMD ratios. Conclusively, DXA-assisted localized quantification and BMD ratio calculations are feasible for assessing periarticular demineralization. Periarticular osteoporosis is a relatively distinctive feature of early RA.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*diagnosis/etiology ; Body Mass Index ; *Bone Density ; Collagen Type I/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis/complications/*diagnosis/radiography ; Peptides/analysis ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors

Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; administration & dosage ; Arthritis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; Clofazimine ; administration & dosage ; Dapsone ; administration & dosage ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Leprostatic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Leprosy ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; administration & dosage ; Rifampin ; administration & dosage ; Treatment Outcome

Primary thymic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBL) of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-type is a very rare disease with distinct clinicopathologic features. I herein report a rare case of primary thymic MZBL of MALT-type arising in the thymus in a patient with Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. A mediastinal mass was detected by computerized tomography in a 43-yr-old Korean woman with a history of Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis and the thymus was resected through median sternotomy. The solid and nodular tumor (7x6x3cm) was confined in the thymus. Histologically, the lymphoid infiltrate comprised monotonous centrocyte-like cells with monocytoid cells, small lymphocytes, and plasma cells. Prominent lymphoepithelial lesions were formed by centrocyte-like cells infiltrating the Hassall's corpuscles. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for CD20, CD79a, and bcl-2 and negative for CD3, CD5, CD10, CD23, and bcl-6. IgA and kappa light chain restriction were also found in plasma cells in the tumor. Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis are known to be associated with MALT lymphoma and were considered to play an important role in the development of malignant lymphoma in this patient.
Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications/immunology ; B-Lymphocytes/metabolism ; Female ; Human ; Lymphoma, Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue/diagnosis/*etiology/immunology ; Sjogren's Syndrome/*complications/immunology ; Thymus Neoplasms/immunology/*pathology ; Tumor Markers, Biological

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with significant cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Increased urinary albumin excretion is a marker of CV risk. There are only few data on urinary albumin excretion in RA patients. Aim of the present study was to investigate urinary albumin excretion in RA patients and analyze, whether there is an association between urinary albumin excretion and vascular function as measured by the augmentation index (AIx). In a total of 341 participants (215 with RA, 126 without RA) urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) was determined and the AIx was measured. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov-test was used to cluster patient groups whose distributions of ACR can be considered to be equal. A crude analysis showed a median ACR of 6.6 mg/g in the RA group and 5.7 mg/g in patients without RA (P > 0.05). In order to account for diabetes (DM) we formed 4 distinct patient groups. Group 1: RA-/DM- (n = 74); group 2: RA+/DM- (n = 195); group 3: RA-/DM+ (n = 52); group 4: RA+/DM+ (n = 20). Clustering of these groups revealed two distinct patient groups: those without RA and DM, and those with either RA or DM or both. The latter group showed statistically significant higher ACR (median 8.1 mg/g) as the former (median 4.5 mg/g). We found no significant correlation between AIx and ACR. Urinary albumin excretion in patients with RA or DM or both is higher than in subjects without RA and DM. This can be seen as a sign of vascular alteration and increased CV risk in these patients.
Aged ; Albumins/analysis ; Albuminuria/*complications ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications/*diagnosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology ; Cluster Analysis ; Creatinine/urine ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Stiffness/*physiology

OBJECTIVETo retrospectively investigate the clinical characteristics of sternal insufficiency fractures (SIFs) of post-menopausal women.

METHODSFindings on the clinical presentation, associated diseases, and imaging of SIFs in 17 postmenopausal women admitted to our hospital between February 1999 and January 2009 were reported.

RESULTSTwelve patients complained of severe pain in their anterior chest. Other symptoms included cough (5 cases), dyspnoea (3 cases), breathlessness (3 cases), and wheeze (2 cases). Four patients had no discomfort. The sternums of 11 cases were tender to palpation. Seventeen patients had osteoporosis. Other associated diseases were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (7 cases), rheumatoid arthritis (3 cases), systemic lupus erythematosus (1 case), asthma (1 case), and thoracic vertebral fracture (13 cases). Nine patients had received glucocorticoid treatment. The fractures were located in the body of the sternum in 15 patients, in the manubrium in 1 patient, and in the manubriosternal junction in 1 patient. Displaced fracture was present in 13 cases. Lateral radiography of the sternum showed a fracture line in 14 patients. In the remaining 3 cases, other imaging examinations such as bone scan, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the presence of a fracture.

CONCLUSIONSOsteoporosis, glucocorticoid therapy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatoid arthritis might be risk factors for SIFs. SIFs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; complications ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Fractures, Stress ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Glucocorticoids ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; chemically induced ; complications ; epidemiology ; Postmenopause ; physiology ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; complications ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sternum ; injuries ; pathology