Despite its major limitations, our results seem to support previous findings of the English and French versions of the Neck Pain and Disability Scale, indicating that this functional scale is valid and reliable.

MPV and RDW were significantly higher in RA. RDW and MPV were similar to erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein to indicate inflammatory activity. RDW was correlated with pain and DAS28, but MPV was not associated with them.

Behcet's disease is a multisystem disease characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, relapsing uveitis, mucocutaneous, articular, gastrointestinal, neurologic, and vascular manifestations. Rheumatologic manifestations may also occur in Behcet's disease, and arthritis and arthralgia are the most common musculoskeletal findings followed by enthesopathy, avascular necrosis, myalgia, and myositis. Although the main pathology of Behcet's disease has been known to be the underlying vasculitis, the etiology and exact pathogenesis of the disease are still unclear. Musculoskeletal findings of Behcet's disease, the relationship between Behcet's disease and spondyloarthropathy disease complex, and the status of bone metabolism in patients with Behcet's disease were discussed in this paper.

Pulmonary function is altered in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) owing mainly to the restriction of chest wall involvement (limited chest expansion). The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between chest expansion, respiratory muscle strength (MIP, MEP) maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), and BASFI score in patients with AS. Twenty-three male patients with definite AS and 21 age-matched healthy male controls were recruited for the study. Patients with AS were assessed for functional status by BASFI. Measurement of chest expansion and lumbar spinal flexion (modified Schober) method was performed in all subjects. Pulmonary function tests were performed by spirometry. Respiratory muscle strength was evaluated by a mouth-pressure meter (MPM). Body mass index (kg/m(2)) was recorded in all individuals. Chest expansion and modified Schober measurement were significantly lower in AS patients (p<0.05). Pulmonary function tests revealed restrictive lung disease. The mean BASFI score suggested good functional capacity in the AS group. The respiratory muscle strength and MVV were also lower in AS (p<0.05). The chest expansion was correlated with MIP and MEP values (r=0.491; p=0.02, r=0.436; p=0.05). Chest expansion was also correlated negatively with disease duration (r=-0.502; p=0.03). In addition, there was no correlation between chest expansion and BASFI score (r=-0.076; p=0.773). This study demonstrates that functional status (BASFI) is not influenced by the limitation of chest wall movement. It may be as a result of the maintenance of moderate physical activity during active life in patients with AS.

Behçet's disease is a complex, multisystemic, inflammatory disorder characterized clinically by recurrent oral and genital ulcerations as well as uveitis, sometimes leading to blindness. The etiology and pathogenesis of this syndrome remain obscure. However, various factors are suspected, including genetic propensity, infectious precipitants, and immunological abnormalities. Considering the chronicity and unclear etiology of the disease, we conducted a prospective investigation of a possible alteration in the bone mineral density of affected persons. Thirty-five patients (18 males and 17 females, mean age 38.02+/-7.93 years) diagnosed with Behçet's disease and 33 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (14 males and 19 females, mean age 40.06+/-7.66 years) were seen on an outpatient basis, and bone densitometry measurements were done from June 2000 to December 2002 at the Mersin University Hospital in Turkey. Postmenopausal women with Behçet's disease and patients receiving oral corticosteroid therapy were excluded from the study. The mean disease duration was 6.68+/-7.05 years. Bone mineral density was measured with dual X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine and right femur. The mean Z scores of the patient and control groups were -0.50+/-1.06 and -0.13+/-0.92 at the lumbar spine, respectively, and 0.38+/-1.07 and 0.45+/-1.20 at the right femur, respectively. No significant differences in bone mineral density values were detected in the groups at either the lumbar (P = 0.15) or right femur (P = 0.82) site. Body mass index and disease duration did not influence bone mineral density, and age had a positive correlation with bone mineral density in patients with Behçet's disease. In conclusion, although it is difficult to draw definite conclusions due to the relatively small sample size, our study confirms that bone mineral density in Behçet's disease was not lower than in healthy subjects.

Osteopoikilosis is an uncommon, benign sclerosing bone dysplasia characterised by typical roentgenographic findings and usually seen in patients with dermatological problems. We report a case of osteopoikilosis and discoid lupus erythematosus presenting with skin and mucosal involvement, an association that has never previously been reported. We also discuss the differential diagnosis and the clinical pathologies accompanying osteopoikilosis in the literature.

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Objectives: The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) and Pain Disability Index (PDI) as well as the retainment of the psychometric properties of the original versions. The importance of the region-specific functional measures on patients with chronic low back pain was also assessed. Methods: Eighty-three patients with chronic low back pain were enrolled in the study. The QBPDS, the PDI and The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were filled by all subjects. Reliability was determined by internal consistency. Internal consistency was measured by calculating Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlation. Validity was examined by correlating the QBPDS and PDI scores to external criteria scores at a single point in time, defined as cross-sectional construct validity. Results: Cronbach's alpha value for QBPDS and PDI was found 0.93 and 0.84 respectively, which were both statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The item-total correlations of QBPDS varied between 0.28 and 0.76, and that of PDI varied between 0.30 and 0.73. The cross-sectional construct validity coefficients of QBPDS were 0.63 for PDI, 0.46 for Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), 0.28 and 0.16 for HADS. Correlation coefficients of PDI were 0.49, and those of VAS and HADS were 0.36 and 0.24 respectively. Conclusion: Our results are in accordance with the previous findings of the English and French versions of the QBPDS and English version of the PDI, indicating that these functional scales are valid and reliable. However, due to the considerable overlap between generic and region-specific functional instruments, the use of both scales is not necessary. We conclude that the QBPDS and PDI both measure predominantly functional status in patients with chronic low back pain.