No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Spondylarthropathies*

No abstract available.
Spondylarthropathies* ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing*

No abstract available.
Rheumatic Diseases* ; Spondylarthropathies

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical significance of heel pain, a frequently associated enthesopathy in Behcet's disease and to evaluate the association with seronegative spondyloarthropathy. METHODS: 15 Behcet's disease patients diagnosed by International Study Group for Behcet's disease criteria with arthritis were studied prospectively in the period of 1994. 3. 1-1995. 3. 31. Modified New York criteria was adopted for the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. The patients were grouped into two by the presence of heel pain which was documented as tenderness on heel. RESULTS: There were 6 patients in the heel pain group and 9 patients in the non-heel pain group. Clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. Ankylosing sponaylitis was not associated in either group. ESR was higher with the value of 41.2mm/hr in heel pain group than 25.7mm/hr in non-heel pain group but it was not significant. In heel pam group, one patient showed HLA-B27 positivity, one patient showed erosive bone cha. nge, and one patient showed sacroiliitis but non-heel pain group showed no HLA positivity or bony changes. CONCLUSIONS: We find that subset of Behcet's disease patients with heel pain showed tendency to have higher inflammatory activity, erosive bone change, sacroilitis and HLA B-27 association, thus should be classified as seronegative spondyloarthropathy but seems to be different category from ankylosing spondylitis. These observations should be conducted in a large number of patients to establish the clinical value.
Arthritis ; Diagnosis ; Heel* ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Sacroiliitis ; Spondylarthropathies ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha antagonist has been proven to have benefit for rheumatologic diseases. Because TNF-alpha is not only an important mediator of inflammation in human body, but plays many physiologic roles, it can cause unique adverse effects or complications related to these functions. Adverse effects involving neurological systems, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction blocks (MMNCB), distal symmetric polyneuropathy, and small fibers neuropathy have been previously reported. However, only several cases of infliximab-associated MMNCB are reported. We report a case of MMNCB which developed while treating spondyloarthropathy with infliximab.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome ; Human Body ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Polyneuropathies ; Spondylarthropathies ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Infliximab

The goals of treatment in Spondyloarthropathy are to reduce pain and stiffness, and to maintain good quality of life. Regular exercise with stretching of axial skeleton is most important. No drugs have been prevented ankylosis, but non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the first line drugs and these are very effective in most of patients who have inflammatory back pain. In recent years, reports that long-term use of NSAIDs may reduce the ankylosis are coming out and expect NSAIDs as anti ankylosis drugs. If NSAIDs is not effective, anti TNF agents can be used in severe inflammatory back pain. In peripheral arthritis, sulfasalazine or steoids can be used, and If these are failed, anti TNF agents can be used.
Ankylosis ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Arthritis ; Back Pain ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Skeleton ; Spondylarthropathies ; Steroids ; Sulfasalazine

Owing to the ability of musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) to depict cross sectional images of synovial joint and related structures, US has become the most reliable tool for evaluation of arthritic activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). US can detect early synovitis, assess disease activity, and determine true remission in patients with RA. US also can detect early enthesitis in patients with spondyloarthropathies. In addition, US can provide a reliable tool for measuring skin thickness in patients with systemic sclerosis. With guidance of injection or aspiration, US can result in a better clinical outcome. Thus, educational needs and research networks are increasing. We present a review of rheumatology US, focusing on recent trends and advances.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Humans ; Joints ; Rheumatology* ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; Skin ; Spondylarthropathies ; Synovitis ; Ultrasonography* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global pandemic affecting more than 2.9 million people. Aside from opportunistic infections and malignancies, it involves multiple organs, resulting in many complications, and frequently shows various rheumatic manifestations. With improving survival of patients due to the development of highly active anti-retroviral therapy, the number of HIV-infected patients with rheumatic complications is certain to increase. However, reports on HIV induced rheumatic manifestations in Korean patients are limited. On the other hand, spondyloarthropathy is the most common form of inflammatory arthropathy in HIV associated rheumatic manifestations and is frequently accompanied by peripheral arthritis and enthesitis, while axial skeletal involvement is a rare presentation. Herein we report on a 46-year-old man with HIV infection presenting with an axial spondyloarthropathy who was treated successfully with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, sulfasalazine, and low dose steroid.
Arthritis ; Hand ; HIV Infections ; HIV* ; Humans ; Humans* ; Middle Aged ; Opportunistic Infections ; Pandemics ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Spondylarthropathies* ; Sulfasalazine

OBJECTIVETo screen the parameters of questionnaire in prevalence survey of spondyloarthropathy (SpA) in China, and to evaluate the value and feasibility of questionnaire used in prevalence survey.

METHODSA questionnaire study on SpA with 12 questions involved was performed which came from a epidemiological survey on SpA in Brittany, France.

RESULTS(1) We found difference on the sensitivity and specificity of some indexes in the questionnaires between the French study and the one developed by ourselves. The sensitivity differed between the published French paper and ours in the following indexes: onset age, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease. The specificity of the indexes would include spinal pain, insidious onset, morning stiffness, duration more than 3 months and radiographic manifestation also showed differences. (2) Excluding the radiographic abnormality, we ran the logistic regression and concluded that the following parameters were the independent indexes which suggesting the existence of the disease: spinal pain onset before 40 years of age, having spinal stiffness in the morning having positive family history and having buttock pain and heel pain. (3) Based on the result of each question of the questionnaire, indices of distinguishing the cases and controls were identified.

CONCLUSIONThe questionnaire verified in our study was a new, simple, valuable and feasible one for SpA prevalence study and in screening the potential SpA patients.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spondylarthropathies ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the all-cause and sex-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) in patients with spondyloarthropathy. METHODS: Studies examining the all-cause and/or cause-specific SMRs in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared to the general population were surveyed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases and manual searches. A meta-analysis of the all-cause and sex-specific SMRs in patients with rheumatic diseases was then performed. RESULTS: In total, 7 comparisons (5 PsA and 2 AS) from 6 reports met the inclusion criteria. Disease-specific meta-analysis showed that the pooled SMR was 1.299 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.092–1.605, p=0.015) for PsA and 1.784 (95% CI 1.576–2.020, p < 0.001) for AS. Meta-analysis showed that the SMRs of PsA and AS were significantly higher (1.299 to 1.784 times) than those in the general population. The age- and sex-adjusted SMR was highest for AS (1.784), followed by PsA (1.299). Moreover, sex-specific meta-analysis showed that the all-cause SMRs were increased in female and male patients with PsA. On the other hand, mortality increased in male patients with AS (SMR 1.834), whereas there was no significant increase in female patients with AS. CONCLUSION: All-cause mortality is higher in patients with PsA and AS compared to the general population. On the other hand, the mortality was higher in males with AS but not in females.
Arthritis, Psoriatic* ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality* ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Spondylarthropathies ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing*