Objective. To evaluate the sensitivity to change of power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) assessment of joint inflammation and the predictive value of PDUS parameters in disease activity and radiologic outcome in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Forty-two patients with early RA who started therapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs underwent blinded sequential clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound assessment at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year and radiographic assessment at baseline and 1 year. For each patient, 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) was recorded at each visit. The presence of synovitis was investigated in 28 joints using gray-scale ultrasonography and intraarticular power Doppler signal. Active synovitis was defined as intraarticular synovitis detected with power Doppler signal. The ultrasound joint count for active synovitis and an overall joint index for power Doppler signal were calculated. Sensitivity to change of PDUS variables was assessed by estimating the smallest detectable difference (SDD) from the intraobserver variability. Results. The SDD for ultrasound joint count for active synovitis and ultrasound joint index for power Doppler signal was lower than mean changes from baseline to 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Time-integrated values of PDUS parameters demonstrated a highly significant correlation with DAS28 after 1 year (r ؍ 0.63, P < 0.001) and a stronger correlation with radiographic progression (r ؍ 0.59 -0.66, P < 0.001) than clinical and laboratory parameters (r < 0.5). Conclusion. PDUS is a sensitive and reliable method for longitudinal assessment of inflammatory activity in early RA. PDUS findings may have a predictive value in disease activity and radiographic outcome.
Knee effusion and MMP with MCLD are associated with pain in knee OA. In addition, MMP may contribute to the radiographic medial FT space narrowing. We propose US for assessing periarticular and intraarticular abnormalities involved in the pathophysiology of knee OA.
The results of the study show that initial surgical treatment in patients with native joint septic arthritis is not superior to IMT. However, half of the patients with shoulder and hip infections treated with IMT eventually required surgical intervention, suggesting that perhaps this should be the preferred initial approach in these cases.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution -Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
Background:Sialodochitis fibrinosa is a rare disease which is characterized by recurring episodes of pain and swelling of the salivary glands due to the formation of mucofibrinous plugs. Analytic studies ascertain elevated levels of eosinophils and immunoglobulin E (IgE). Imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and sialography reveal dilation of the main salivary duct (duct ectasia). Treatment is initially supportive, consisting of compressive massages, and use of antihistamines and/or corticosteroids.Material and methods:In the following, 3 cases of sialodochitis fibrinosa are presented which were diagnosed in a third level hospital during the period of 2008 and 2016, as well as a literature review of all cases reported to our knowledge.Results:Of the 41 cases found, including the 3 of this article, 66% were women with an average age of 45 years old. However, 75% of reported cases were of Japanese heritage. Involvement of the parotid glands was more frequent than the submandibular glands. In more than half of all cases treatment with compressive massages, antihistamines and/or corticosteroids was effective.Conclusion:Clinicians should consider sialodochitis fibrinosa as a diagnostic possibility when presented with cases of recurring parotid and submandibular gland tumescence.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.