Lupus erythematosus/lichen planus overlap syndrome is a rare disorder combining the clinical, histological and immunopathological features of both lupus erythematosus (LE) and lichen planus (LP). Cutaneous lesions mostly affect the distal arms, legs, face and trunk. Palmoplantar involvement is felt to be characteristic of this condition. Plaques are often painful, centrally atrophic, bluish-red to hypopigmented in color, large, and scaly. On biopsy of clinically ambiguous lesions, histopathological features of one or both processes can be found, obscuring the diagnosis and complicating prognosis and treatment. Thus, direct immunofluorescence has become an essential tool in helping to diagnose this condition. In this report we describe the unique clinical and immunohistopathological manifestations of lupus erythematosus/lichen planus overlap syndrome along with a successful response to treatment with acitretin.

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Our objective was to determine the prevalence of airway hyperreactivity (AHR) in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had received no disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and to characterise the spectrum of lung diseases identifiable in these patients at the time of presentation. Eighteen consecutive patients with newly diagnosed RA referred to our medical centre's rheumatology clinic over 2 years underwent pulmonary evaluation with arterial blood gas analysis, chest radiographs, spirometry before and after bronchodilator medication, and body plethysmography. They returned on subsequent days in random order for methacholine inhalation challenge (MIC) and eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH) as bronchoprovocation techniques. One patient had severe obstructive disease at presentation and therefore did not undergo bronchoprovocation. We found a wide variety of pulmonary abnormalities, including two patients with hypoxia (12%), two with obstruction (12%), three with restriction (18%) and four with AHR (23%). The data also suggest a strong association between pulmonary diseases in RA and cigarette smoking. Although no single characteristic lung disease such as AHR was identified in patients presenting with RA, the association between lung disease and cigarette smoking is striking and underscores the need to emphasise smoking cessation in this patient population.

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Giardia lamblia, a flagellated protozoan and common cause of gastroenteritis, is a rare but previously reported cause of reactive arthritis (ReA). We report a case of inflammatory oligoarthritis in a young woman after infection with Giardia. Two weeks after being treated, she developed an inflammatory arthritis of her left knee and right elbow that was refractory to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication. Antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, and HLA-B27 tests were negative. She had almost immediate relief with intraarticular injection of corticosteroids. We review the previously reported cases of ReA following giardiasis and discuss possible pathogenic mechanisms. Although ReA most commonly occurs after chlamydial urethritis or gastroenteritis associated with typical enteropathic bacteria, important historical clues could point to less common pathogens such as Giardia. Physicians should be aware of these less common causes of ReA, because this could have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.