We report a case of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease (CPDD) presenting as an acute polyarthritis. A 66-yr-old woman was admitted with a 5-day history of fever and multiple joint pain including wrists, elbows, shoul-ders, knees, and ankles developed 5 days before admission. Her plain radiographs of wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, and ankles showed chondrocalcinosis. The pubic symphysis, lumbar intervertebral discs, and both hip joints, which were asymptomatic, also had calcium deposits. The compensated polarized microscopic examination of the joint fluid, aspirated from the right knee revealed intracellular and extracellular weakly positive birefringent crystals, confirming the CPDD. This case showed that CPDD may manifest as an acute polyarthritis mimicking acute onset rheumatoid arthritis.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Arthritis/*radiography/radionuclide imaging ; Chondrocalcinosis/*radiography/radionuclide imaging ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis. There are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria for PsA. Indeed, the diagnosis of this inflammatory arthritis is made by exclusion of other possible diseases and based upon immunologic, radiologic, and clinical features which are consistent with the diagnosis. Inflammatory arthritis in a patient with psoriasis can be an important clue for the diagnosis of PsA, but the possibility for diagnosis of other inflammatory arthritides ever remains. Herein we report a case of a female patient who was not diagnosed with PsA, but with rheumatoid arthritis, even though she had psoriasis.
Adult ; Arthritis/classification/*diagnosis/*immunology ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/classification/*diagnosis/*immunology ; Bone and Bones/radiography/radionuclide imaging ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Skin/pathology

Atypical femoral fractures are characterized by a subtrochanteric or diaphyseal location. Recent studies have suggested that long-term treatment with bisphosphonates might be associated with the occurrence of atypical femoral fractures. The present report describes a case involving a 60-year-old woman with left buttock pain that was unassociated with trauma. Her hip pain was initially considered to be a symptom of her underlying rheumatoid arthritis, but a plain radiography, bone scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an insufficiency fracture in the lateral shaft of the left proximal femur. She had been treated with a bisphosphonate for 4.5 years because of a previous vertebral fracture. Her chronic, long-term rheumatoid arthritis and history of bisphosphonate administration were considered to be associated with the development of her atypical femoral fracture.
Alendronate ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Buttocks ; Diphosphonates ; Female ; Femoral Fractures* ; Femur ; Fractures, Stress ; Hip ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Radionuclide Imaging

Sacroiliac joint infection is relatively rare and difficult in differential diagnosis with other spinal disorders. Delay in diagnosis is frequent which causes an increased morbidity. The authors reviewed clinical courses of the patients who were treated for pyogenic sacroiliac joint infection from January 1985 to April 1997. Investigation included physical examination, bone scan, biopsy, ESR, plain radiography, CT scan, and MRI. The diagnosis was made on clinical findings and a positive results of the above investigation. There were 17 pyogenic arthritis. Six patients had all symptoms of triad(fever, unilateral buttock pain, limping gait) and fifteen patients had typical buttock pain. Increased ESR(>20mm/hr) was noticed in fourteen patients. In all seventeen cases, skeletal scintigraphy and Gaenslen test were positive. Also CT scan and MRI study were helpful in diagnosis of the sacroiliac joint infection. Pus culture could be done in twelve cases and staphylococcus aureus was found in seven cases. Conservative treatment was performed in eleven cases, and operation in six cases. Fifteen cases were recovered and two cases relieved.
Arthritis ; Biopsy ; Buttocks ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Physical Examination ; Radiography ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Sacroiliac Joint* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Suppuration ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: Insufficiency fracture (IF) occurs when normal or physiological muscular activity stresses a bone that is deficient in mineral or elastic resistance. We studied clinical characteristics of IF in patients with chronic inflammatory joint diseases in Korea. METHODS: Between Aug. 1997 and Feb. 2003, thirty five patients with 77 fractures were studied at the authors' institution when they were being treated for their rheumatic diseases. The clinical and laboratory data were collected by review of medical record retrospectively. RESULTS: All patients except four were postmenopausal women (mean age 63.0+/-10.0 years) with long disease duration (mean 14.2+/-11.6 years). Thirty three patients had rheumatoid arthritis, 1 ankylosing spondylitis and 1 systemic lupus erythematosus. Twenty nine patients (85.7%) were receiving regular steroid treatment (mean dose 4.0+/-2.3 mg/day, mean duration 6.1+/-4.2 years). Twenty four patients were treated with methotrexate. The significant reduction in their bone mineral density was found 27 patients based on BMD or QCT. Eight patients without osteoporosis were treated with steroid or MTX. Twenty three patients were ever used for osteoporosis treatment. Most patients except four presented with pain in the low back, groin, hip, pelvic, leg and knee. Initial simple radiography was positive in only 7 patients, with vertebral compression fracture in 11 patients and no effect on mobility except ten. Diagnosis was delayed (mean duration of symptom until diagnosis was 45.6+/-64.5 days). IF was confirmed using the bone scan. Sacrum and pelvic bone was most frequently affected site. The other sites were SI joint, iliac wing, symphysis pubis, acetabulum and femur neck. Twenty nine patients required in-patient stay (mean 17.4 days). All but one patient showed an uneventful recovery with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: The low grade nature of symptoms, minimal effect on mobility, absence of significant trauma and missed on initial plain radiography make diagnosis difficult and delayed. IF should be suspected in cases of unexplained pain with local tenderness in patients of chronic inflammatory joint diseases. The technetium-99m diphosphonate bone scintigraphy was valuable diagnostic tool in the early recognition of IF.
Acetabulum ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bone Density ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Fractures, Compression ; Fractures, Stress* ; Groin ; Hip ; Humans ; Joint Diseases* ; Joints* ; Knee ; Korea ; Leg ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Medical Records ; Methotrexate ; Osteoporosis ; Pelvic Bones ; Radiography ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Sacrum ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing