No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Tenosynovitis*

No Abstract available.
Ankle* ; Sarcoidosis* ; Tenosynovitis*

No abstract available.
Angiomyoma*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the extraglandular manifestations and serological features of Korean patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Clinical and laboratory data of 125 patients with pSS attending rheumatology clinic of Kangnam St. Mary's hospital, with a mean follow-up period of 64.8 months, were assessed retrospectively. RESULTS: Arthralgia was the most common extraglandular manifestation of pSS. Other extraglandular manifestations, such as myalgia, peripheral neuropathy, Raynaud's phenomenon, and hypothyroidism were frequently presented, but lymphoma was rare manifestation in Korean patients with pSS. Some extraglandular manifestations of pSS were associated with hypocomplementemia and antibodies against Ro, and La, and antinuclear antibody. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestations and extraglandular manifestations of Korean patients with pSS patients were similar to other studies except low prevalence of lymphoma. Positivity of anti-Ro/SS-A, anti-La/SS-B antibodies and hypocomplementemia were closely associated with extraglandular manifestations in patients with pSS.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Arthralgia ; Autoantibodies* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Lymphoma ; Myalgia ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatology ; Sjogren's Syndrome*

Objective: To investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha on the production of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), which might have important roles in the immune mediated inflammatory response of Behcet's syndrome. Methods: Sixty two patients with Behcet's syndrome and thirty healthy controls were included in this study. The concentrations of TNF-alpha in sera were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from eleven patients with Behcet's syndrome were cultured for 48 hours with various concentration of TNF-alpha. The concentrations of MIF in sera and culture supernatants were determined by ELISA. Results: Serum levels of TNF-alpha were significantly higher in patients with Behcet's syndrome than in healthy controls. TNF-alpha dose-dependently increased MIF production from PBMCs in patients with Behcet's syndrome. Serum levels of TNF-alpha tended to correlate with serum levels of MIF, although did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Upregulation of MIF production by increased levels of TNF-alpha in patients with Behcet's syndrome might be related to the pathogenesis of Behcet's syndrome.
Behcet Syndrome* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Macrophages* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Up-Regulation*

Cryptococcal meningitis is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The nonspecific neurologic findings associated with this infection delays accurate diagnosis because initial neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE are in instances indistinguishable from that of crytococcal meningitis. We report a case of cryptococcal meningitis presenting with unilateral sixth cranial nerve palsy in a male patient with SLE, which was successfully treated with antifungal agents.
Abducens Nerve Diseases/*etiology ; Adult ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/*complications ; Male ; Meningitis, Cryptococcal/*etiology

Pure word deafness is characterized by an impairment of auditory comprehension and repetition of speech while a preservation of reading, writing, spontaneous speech and ability to comprehend non-verbal sounds. It is caused by trauma, infection, tumor or infarction in the temporal lobe of brain. In most cases, the lesions are bilateral, in the middle third of superior temporal gyri, but in a few cases unilateral lesions of dominant temporal lobe are localized. We experienced a case of 45 year-old right handed woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who presented pure word deafness after left temporal lobe infarction including primary auditory center. Her auditory comprehension was impaired, while reading and visual comprehension were normal. Audiometric tests and auditory evoked potentials disclosed no hearing defect. Brain MRI showed a left temporal lobe infarction without abnormal vascular finding in MRA. She was diagnosed as pure word deafness due to SLE vasculitis and managed with high dose steroid and cyclophosphamide therapies.
Brain ; Cerebral Infarction ; Comprehension ; Cyclophosphamide ; Deafness* ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; Female ; Hand ; Hearing ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Temporal Lobe ; Vasculitis ; Writing

A 50-year-old female patient with visual disturbances was referred for further evaluation of a heart murmur. Fundoscopy revealed a Roth spot in both eyes. A physical examination showed peripheral signs of infective endocarditis, including Osler nodes, Janeway lesions, and splinter hemorrhages. Our preoperative diagnosis was subacute bacterial endocarditis with severe aortic regurgitation. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement and was treated with intravenous antibiotics for 6 weeks postoperatively. The patient made a remarkable recovery and was discharged without complications. We report this case of subacute endocarditis with all 4 classic peripheral signs in a patient who presented with visual disturbance.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aortic Valve ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Diagnosis ; Endocarditis ; Endocarditis, Subacute Bacterial* ; Female ; Heart Murmurs ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination

Cryptococcal infection is a rare, yet well recognized complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We present a case of mesenteric and retroperitoneal cryptococcal lymphadenitis resulting in the obstruction of the stomach and proximal duodenum in a patient suffering from SLE, while recently she did not receive any immunosuppressive treatment. A 42-yr-old woman was admitted due to high fever and diffuse abdominal pain for three weeks. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed multiple conglomerated lymphadenopathies in the retroperitoneum and the mesentery resulting in luminal narrowing of the third portion of the duodenum. Cryptococcal lymphadenitis was proven by needle biopsy and she was treated with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B, followed by oral fluconazole. After fourteen-month antifungal therapies, the clinical symptoms and follow-up images improved. This case emphasize that the intrinsic immunological defects of SLE may be directly responsible for the predisposition to fungal infections.
Adult ; Cryptococcosis/*etiology/pathology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/*complications/immunology ; Lymphadenitis/*etiology/pathology/radiography ; Mesentery ; Opportunistic Infections/etiology/pathology/radiography ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed