1/126. Effectiveness of lymphocytapheresis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.immunomodulation by lymphocytapheresis (LCA) was carried out in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who suffered severe pain in joints and back. LCA was performed once a week and 3 x 10 9 lymphocytes were extracted each time. Fifteen courses of LCA were completed. The joint score was gradually decreased and the improvement was maintained 11 months after treatment. The population of NK cells detected by Leu-7 and Leu-11 monoclonal antibodies decreased and HLA-DR positive CD3 cells increased during and after the treatment. The effectiveness of LCA in AS may confirm the participation of immunological mechanisms in the pathogenesis of AS.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = back, pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/126. Surgically induced necrotizing scleritis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.We present the case of a 75-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis who developed surgically induced necrotizing scleritis (SINS) more than 3 years after uneventful extracapsular cataract extraction and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. The patient presented with a painful eye and increasing vertical diplopia. To our knowledge, neither the association of SINS and ankylosing spondylitis nor vertical diplopia as its presenting complaint has been described.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.46095870450923keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/126. "Ankylosing spondylitis" without sacroiliitis in a woman without the HLA B27 antigen.An elderly woman with otherwise typical ankylosing spondylitis for 45 years lacked radiologic evidence of sacroiliitis and the HLA B27 antigen. The illness was complicated by renal tuberculosis requiring a left nephrectomy 23 years after the onset of low back pain, and 20 years after an episode of severe iritis. After the eradication of the tuberculosis by surgery and chemotherapy, she has continued to have symptomatic spondylitis. The case seems to be an exception to the rule that sacroiliitis is a sine qua non for ankylosing spondylitis. women with ankylosing spondylitis tend to have milder disease with an apparently lower frequency of roentgenographic changes in sacroiliac joints.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = back, pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/126. Unilateral osseous bridging between the arches of atlas and axis after trauma.STUDY DESIGN: This is a case report. OBJECTIVE: To present a case of osseous bridging between C1 and C2 of posttraumatic origin and with an associated closed head injury and to discuss its pathogenesis and clinical outcome after surgical resection. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Heterotopic ossifications of posttraumatic origin in the spine are rare. To the authors' knowledge, no cases have been reported of spontaneous bony bridging between C1 and C2 with a posttraumatic origin. methods: Heterotopic ossifications were detected when pain and limited axial rotation (left/right 10 degrees/0 degree/20 degrees) were persistent, despite intensive physical therapy. Because heterotopic ossifications were ankylosing C1 and C2, the decision was to resect the osseous bridge in combination with a careful mobilization of the cervical spine. Functional computed tomography was performed for analysis of the postoperative results. RESULTS: Four months after surgery, clinical examination showed asymptomatic increased axial rotation. Functional computed tomography indicated that left C1-C2 axial rotation was reduced, possibly related to impingement caused by residual bony spurs. Pathologic changes in the surrounding soft tissue may be another important factor in the persistent limitation of rotation. CONCLUSIONS: Osseous bridging between C1 and C2 may be considered when persistent pain and limited axial rotation are observed after trauma. Operative resection, together with careful intraoperative and postoperative mobilization, may be the treatment of choice.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.92191740901847keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/126. Atypical clinical presentation of ankylosing spondylitis.OBJECTIVES: To describe a subgroup of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), whose disease evolved without the characteristic inflammatory back pain or significant disability. methods: Three patients who were diagnosed in their late 5th decade of life as having AS are described. Information about asymptomatic cases of AS or patients who were unaware of their disease was gathered from case reports and from studies involving HLA-B27-positive individuals. Another source of information derived from studies that investigated conditions known to be a complication of AS, such as heart block or aortic regurgitation. RESULTS: The data collected from the literature suggest that 1.5% to 10% of the patients with AS are asymptomatic or have very mild disease. These patients are diagnosed late in the course of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the mild nature of the symptoms, the real prevalence of atypical AS is unknown. The information gathered from the literature allows to delineate 4 subgroups of patients with AS: (1) Classic AS with characteristic clinical and radiographic manifestations; (2) Asymptomatic AS with characteristic radiographic findings; (3) Asymptomatic AS with extra-articular features as the presenting manifestations; (4) Symptomatic AS without radiographic supporting evidence. patients with asymptomatic or mild symptoms deserve more attention, because a better understanding of the factors that affect the expression of pain in different individuals may generate better pain control therapies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.9219174090185keywords = back, pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/126. Coexistence of hereditary multiple exostoses and ankylosing spondylitis.We report a 50-year-old male patient with hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This is the first case reporting the coexistence of HME and AS. Our patient has multiple exostoses around the knee, elbow and wrist joints. At the age of 40 years, pain in the lower back associated with morning stiffness lasting about an hour and improving with exercise began. His son also has hereditary multiple exostoses but has no sign of AS. HME is an autosomal dominant disorder. AS has a remarkably strong association with the histocompatibility antigen HLA-B27. Owing to the different genetic mechanisms, it is not possible to differentiate between coincidence and association. Coexistence of HME and AS in our patient probably represents a coincidence rather than a real association.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = back, pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/126. Dramatic response after an intravenous loading dose of azathioprine in one case of severe and refractory ankylosing spondylitis.We describe a 37-yr-old Caucasian male suffering from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with long-standing severe inflammatory lumbar pain and hip arthritis who was refractory to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulphasalazine and methotrexate up to 25 mg/week. In this patient, administration of an i.v. loading dose of azathioprine (AZA; 40 mg/kg for 36 h followed by 2 mg/kg oral AZA therapy) induced a dramatic response in his clinical condition. Indeed, objective and subjective clinical variables improved within 1 week and were corroborated by a decline in the levels of the inflammatory parameters; anaemia was reported at month 3 but was rapidly reversible. If confirmed, an i.v. loading dose of AZA could represent a valuable alternative in severe and refractory AS, but toxicity of this regimen should be carefully analysed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.46095870450923keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/126. Clinics in diagnostic imaging (42). Shepherd's fracture.A 21-year-old woman presented with severe ankle pain during a soccer match. Radiographs showed a Shepherd's fracture of the talus. She responded well to conservative treatment. The imaging anatomy of the posterior talus and os trigonum is reviewed, together with radiological features of osteochondritis dissecans of the talar dome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.46095870450923keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/126. Tamale foot: deposit of acid mucopolysaccharides in the synovial sheaths of extensor tendons of the foot, resembling tendinitis, in a patient with juvenile ankylosing spondylitis.We describe a clinical case of juvenile ankylosing spondylitis (AS) that developed "pseudo-chronic tendinitis" of the foot. A 20-year-old male patient had HLA-B27 positive juvenile AS since he was 13 years old. At the age of 19 he presented chronic pain in the dorsum of the left foot. Examination disclosed an increased volume of the tarsal dorsum, with rubbery consistency, with no evidence of venous or lymphatic insufficiency, godette, or inflammation in laboratory tests, giving the foot the appearance of a tamale. Synovectomy of the foot extensor tendon sheath was followed by relief of pain and swelling. Histopathological study showed a deposit of acid mucopolysaccharides (MPS) with no inflammatory cell infiltrate. Tamale foot in juvenile AS may develop as a consequence of acid MPS deposit with no evidence of synovial inflammation. The good response to synovectomy suggests this is the preferred treatment for tamale foot.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.92191740901847keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/126. Multiple basal cell carcinomas and malignant melanoma following radiotherapy for ankylosing spondylitis.We present the case of a 53-year-old Caucasian woman with seven basal cell carcinomas and one malignant melanoma in situ along her back overlying her spine, which was irradiated in 1968 for ankylosing spondylitis. These lesions developed between 1997 and 1999. She has no other known risk factors for cutaneous malignancy, in particular no history of excessive sun exposure. She has skin type 2. Molecular studies of glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 status showed her genotype not to constitute an overall increased inherited susceptibility. We therefore postulate that all her skin cancers have arisen as a consequence of her radiotherapy. To our knowledge this is the first case of multiple basal cell carcinoma in addition to a malignant melanoma following radiotherapy for benign disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.53904129549077keywords = back (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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