No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Vasculitis*

Rheumatoid neutrophilic dermatitis (RND) is a rare distinctive complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Clinically, RND is characterized by slightly tender erythematous patches and papules, often associated with vesicles or pustules, which are symmetrically distributed on the extensor surfaces of the extremities. Histopathological findings revealed a dermal neutrophilic infiltration with leukocytoclasia without vasculitis. We report a case of rheumatoid neutrophilic dermatitis associated with seronegative RA.
Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Dermatitis ; Extremities ; Neutrophils ; Vasculitis

Rheumatoid vasculitis usually occurs in patients with long standing, seropositive, erosive rheumatoid arthritis. It involves typically small to medium-sized vessels and is associated with peripheral neuropathy, digital gangrene, nail fold infarcts, livedo reticularis, and palpable purpura. Histologic examination of skin biopsy specimens usually shows leukocytoclastic vasculitis. We report a case of rheumatoid vasculitis developed on both extremities in a 63-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biopsy ; Extremities ; Female ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Livedo Reticularis ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Purpura ; Rheumatoid Vasculitis* ; Skin ; Vasculitis

Rheumatoid vasculitis is a rare, but most serious extra-articular complications of long-standing, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Vasculitis of hepatic artery is an extremely rare but severe manifestation of rheumatoid vasculitis. A 72-year-old woman who presented with polyarthralgia for 2 months was diagnosed with early RA. Since she had manifestations of livedo reticularis, and liver dysfunction which was atypical for RA patients, a percutaneous needle liver biopsy was performed revealing arteritis of a medium-sized hepatic artery. Extensive investigations did not reveal evidences of other systemic causes such as malignancy or systemic vasculitis. The patient was diagnosed with rheumatoid vasculitis involving hepatic arteries based on Bacon and Scott criteria for rheumatoid vasculitis. With high dose corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide induction and methotrexate and tacrolimus maintenance treatment, she was successfully recovered. Association of rheumatoid vasculitis at very early stages of the disease may represent an early aggressive form of RA.
Aged ; Arteritis ; Arthralgia ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Biopsy ; Cyclophosphamide ; Female ; Hepatic Artery* ; Humans ; Livedo Reticularis ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Methotrexate ; Needles ; Rheumatoid Vasculitis* ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Tacrolimus ; Vasculitis

Rheumatoid vasculitis is a necrotizing arteritis of unknown causes that affect a subset of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Vasculitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis was first recognized in 1898. It was described frequently in the 1940s through 1960s but is now rarely diagnosed. Typical clinical features include constitutional symptoms, mononeuritis multiplex, skin infarction, ulceration, peripheral gangrene and visceral infarction. Gastrointestinal involvement occurs in 10 to 38% of cases of rheumatoid vasculitis and may include bowel infarction, ulceration, perforation, colitis, stricture, or bleeding. Ischemia of the intestine is the end result of interruption or reduction of its blood supply. However, the clinical manifestations of intestinal ischemia range from mild chronic symptoms to a catastrophic acute episode, depending on the vascular supply involved, the extent of the occlusion or ischemia, and the rapidity of the process. Physicians caring for patients with rheumatoid arthritis should be aware that intestinal ischemia or infarction may occur without overt clinical evidence of systemic rheumatoid vasculitis. Herein we describe a case of rheumatoid vasculitis manifesting as ischemic colitis which was intractable to medical therapy and led to subtotal colectomy.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Colectomy ; Colitis ; Colitis, Ischemic* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Gangrene ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infarction ; Intestines ; Ischemia ; Mononeuropathies ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Rheumatoid Vasculitis* ; Skin ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis

Rheumatoid arthritis patients have an increased risk of subclinical cardiovascular disease, and they also have a high prevalence of carotid disease and peripheral arterial disease as a form of vasculitis. Rheumatoid arthritis patients have an increased cardiovascular mortality rate and an increased premature death rate, and they have a higher incidence of atherosclerosis. Myocardial infarction due to vasculitis is a rare complication for patients with rheumatoid vasculitis. We report here on a case of a patient with multiorgan involvement who developed myocardial infarction, right carotid artery occlusion and left renal artery occlusion secondary to his rheumatoid vasculitis.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Stenosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Mortality, Premature ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Peripheral Arterial Disease ; Prevalence ; Renal Artery ; Rheumatoid Vasculitis* ; Vasculitis

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis has various extra-articular manifestations including rheumatoid vasculitis. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene shows insertion/deletion polymorphism and has II, ID, DD genotypes. ACE gene is related with vasoconstriction and endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular disease. This study was undertaken to determine the association between ACE gene polymorphism and rheumatoid vasculitis. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients were collected as rheumatoid vasculitis group. DNA was isolated from blood samples collected from 114 Korean rheumatoid arthritis patients meeting American College of rheumatology 1987 revised criteria, and 114 healthy control group. Genotyping for the angiotensin converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism was performed by polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS: As vasculitis manifestation, 15 patients showed neuropathy, 13 showed scleritis, 3 showed skin rash. In rheumatoid vasculitis group, II, ID and DD polymorphism was seen in 8 (27.6%), 15 (51.7%), 6 (20.7%) patients respectively and 39 (34.2%), 57 (50.0%), and 18 (15.8%) in normal controls. There was no skewing of ACE I/D polymorphism in compared with normal group. In rheumatoid arthritis control group, II, ID and DD polymorphism was seen in 37 (32.5%), 64 (56.1%), and 13 (11.4%) patients. Among rheumatoid arthritis patient, there was no significant difference between patient with vasculitis and without vasculitis. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that genetic polymorphisms of angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion gene has no association with the susceptibility to rheumatoid vasculitis.
Angiotensins* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; DNA ; Exanthema ; Genotype ; Humans ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Rheumatoid Vasculitis* ; Rheumatology ; Scleritis ; Vasculitis ; Vasoconstriction

Peripheral nervous system involvement is common in systemic vasculitis, occurring most frequently in the polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) group of disorders and in rheumatoid vasculitis. Within the polyarteritis nodosa group of systemic necrotizing vasculitides, three subgroups have been described: classic polyarteritis nodosa, Churg-Strauss syndrome, and an overlap syndrome. Three patients with evidence of systemic vasculitis and peripheral neuropathy were clinically and electrophysiologically investigated. All cases presented clinically with mononeuropathy multiples considered typical pattern of ischemic involvement of the peripheral nerve. The causes included polyarteritis nodosa, its Churg-strauss variant, and the overlap syndrome. Pain and weakness were frequent symptoms. Nerve conduction studies were abnormal In all cases. Necrotizing vasculitis was present as pathologic findings in two cases. All patients were treated with prednisolone alone or in combination with other immunosuppressive agents or with plasmapheresis.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Mononeuropathies* ; Neural Conduction ; Peripheral Nerves ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Plasmapheresis ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Prednisolone ; Rheumatoid Vasculitis ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Vasculitis*

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare condition of unknown etiology in which recurrent episodes of inflammation are followed by the destruction of cartilaginous structures, which predominantly include the nose, ears, and tracheobronchial tree. Although many autoimmune disorders, such as systemic vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, and Behcet's disease, are commonly found in patients with relapsing polychondritis, ankylosing spondylitis is rarely associated with this disease. We report a case of relapsing polychondritis with ankylosing spondylitis in the same patient.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Ear ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Nose ; Polychondritis, Relapsing ; Sjogren's Syndrome ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Systemic Vasculitis

The myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogeneous group of refractory anemia resulting from a clonal abnormality in the pleuripotent stem cell. A variety of immunologic abnormalities have been reported in patients with MDS, and various rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjogren? syndrome, vasculitis, have been reported in association with MDS. Inflammatory arthritis is a rare complication of MDS. Here we report a patient with refractory anemia with excess blasts with unusual manifestation of inflammatory arthritis, with a review of the literature.
Anemia, Refractory ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Stem Cells ; Vasculitis