| PURPOSE: To report the occurrence of acquired Brown syndrome and associated magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with psoriasis. methods: A 42-year-old woman with a history of psoriasis developed pain, double vision, and limited elevation of her left eye in adduction. An orbital magnetic resonance image with gadolinium enhancement was obtained. RESULTS: Orbital magnetic resonance image disclosed abnormal enhancement of the left trochlea/tendon complex. The patient's symptoms resolved with corticosteroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Acquired Brown syndrome may be associated with psoriasis. The inflammation of the trochlea/tendon complex that can cause acquired Brown syndrome can be demonstrated on magnetic resonance image. ( info) |
2/151. Panclavicular ankylosis in pustulotic arthroosteitis. A case report. A 54-year-old man who had palmoplantar pustulosis showed bilateral, complete osseous fusion of the sternoclavicular and acromioclavicular joints. No significant abnormality was seen in the glenohumeral joint. The left clavicle had a nonunion develop, whereas the right did not. The elevation of the right shoulder was limited to 100 degrees in active and passive measurements. The total external rotation and internal rotation at the side was 135 degrees. This decreased to 90 degrees at 60 degrees elevation and to 10 degrees at maximum (100 degrees) elevation. Based on the kinematic data on normal shoulders, it was thought that the ankylosis of both ends of the clavicle held the scapula unrotated during the arm movement so that, at the arm to trunk angle of 100 degrees, the position of the humerus relative to the scapula was equivalent to that of a normal shoulder in complete elevation. The current case provided an extremely rare clinical setting where shoulder mobility depended only on glenohumeral motion as a result of the complete loss of scapulothoracic motion. ( info) |
3/151. Isolated tenosynovitis associated with psoriasis triggered by physical injury. A 60-year-old man who had been suffering from psoriasis for 20 years developed finger dactylitis and inflammatory swelling with pitting edema over the dorsum of the hand one week after a contusive trauma to the left hand. These were not followed by any other clinical manifestations of PsA. ( info) |
4/151. Spontaneous regression of periodontoid pannus mass in psoriatic atlantoaxial subluxation. Case report. STUDY DESIGN: A case report of a 41-year-old man with psoriasis who had cervical myelopathy caused by atlantoaxial subluxation and periodontoid pannus mass. OBJECTIVE: To describe the possible mechanism underlying the periodontoid pannus formation and the optimal treatment for such cases. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Atlantoaxial subluxation causing spinal cord compression at the craniocervical junction may develop in patients with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis. Periodontoid pannus formation plays an important role in compromising the anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal and in causing neurologic deficits. Transoral transpharyngeal excision of the pannus is sometimes thought necessary for anterior decompression of the spinal cord. Spontaneous resolution of the periodontoid pannus after posterior atlantoaxial fusion and fixation has been documented in rheumatoid arthritis, but not in psoriatic arthritis. methods: The patient underwent posterior atlantoaxial fusion and Halifax fixation. RESULTS: The patient experienced clinical improvement. Regression of the periodontoid pannus mass was observed on magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior fusion and instrumentation resulted in spontaneous regression of the pannus mass and symptomatic relief. This report provides evidence that atlantoaxial instability may be the sine qua non for the formation of periodontoid pannus, and that amelioration of such instability leads to spontaneous resolution of the pannus mass. ( info) |
5/151. SAPHO syndrome or psoriatic arthritis? A familial case study. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the relationships between SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis) syndrome and the group of spondylarthropathies. methods: Few reports of familial SAPHO have been published. We describe three children, two sisters and one brother, whose clinical and radiological presentation was in accordance with SAPHO syndrome. RESULTS: Two children developed psoriasis, and one child palmoplantar pustulosis. Both sacroiliac and sternoclavicular joints were involved in these three cases. Some features in our observations are also common to psoriatic arthritis. No association was found with hla antigens, but a history of trauma preceding the onset of symptoms was present in all three children. CONCLUSIONS: We can consider that SAPHO is nosologically related to spondylarthropathies. Psoriatic arthritis could be the missing link between SAPHO and spondylarthropathies. It is likely that both genetic and environmental factors are involved. ( info) |
6/151. Widespread plaque psoriasis responsive to mycophenolate mofetil. A woman with a long history of widespread plaque psoriasis unresponsive to and/or intolerant of phototherapy, retinoids, methotrexate and cyclosporin was successfully treated with mycophenolate mofetil. Remission was maintained on doses between 1 and 1.5 g/day for 18 months without adverse effects. ( info) |
7/151. Photosensitivity with sulfasalazopyridine hypersensitivity syndrome. Five weeks after the start of treatment with an association of sulfasalazopyridine and piroxicam, a 30-year-old woman presented with an eczematous eruption in light-exposed areas, hepatomegaly and fever (38 degrees C). Laboratory studies showed leukocytosis, eosinophilia and hepatic cytolysis. Treatment consisted of withdrawing the two drugs and topical steroids. The clinical signs regressed in 6 days. An increase in eosinophilia and hepatic cytolysis was observed until the tenth day, after which the trend reversed. Laboratory parameters were normal on the twentieth day. One month later, photopatch testing was performed. A patch test with sulfanilamide irradiated with UVA was positive. Clinical and laboratory findings were highly suggestive of drug hypersensitivity syndrome. The positive result from the UVA photopatch test with sulfanilamide suggests that sulfasalazopyridine was involved in the occurrence of hypersensitivity syndrome in our patient. We conclude that photodistributed eruptions can be observed in drug hypersensitivity syndrome with photosensitizing drugs. ( info) |
| A case of nephrotic syndrome due to AA amyloidosis in a young woman suffering from erythrodermic psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy is reported. The nephrotic syndrome regressed completely during long-term (57 months) colchicine treatment. There are 39 case reports in the literature of psoriasis associated with amyloidosis. More than 85% of these patients had concomitant arthropathy. This suggests that arthritis may be an important factor in the appearance of amyloidosis. 59% of psoriatics with amyloidosis had renal failure and 56% of them died shortly after diagnosis of amyloidosis. These observations support the view that amyloidosis associated with psoriasis is an aggressive disease that may be fatal. However, the clinical course of our patient suggests that renal amyloidosis associated with psoriasis may be successfully treated by colchicine. ( info) |
9/151. Distal extremity swelling with pitting edema in psoriatic arthritis: evidence of 2 pathological mechanisms. Distal extremity swelling with pitting edema due to altered lymphatic drainage has been reported in some patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The edema usually affected the upper limbs in an asymmetric pattern and was resistant to therapy. We describe 2 additional cases. The distal swelling and pitting edema responded promptly and completely to corticosteroids in the first patient but persisted in the second. lymphoscintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a predominant tenosynovitis in the hand without lymphedema in the first patient, and impaired lymphatic drainage without tenosynovial sheath involvement in the second. We conclude that 2 different mechanisms, characterized by a different response to therapy, may be associated with the same clinical picture of distal swelling with pitting edema in patients with psoriatic arthritis. lymphoscintigraphy and MRI are useful in defining the structures involved and in predicting the prognosis. ( info) |
10/151. Synovitis of small joints: sonographic guided diagnostic and therapeutic approach. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pictorial essay is to describe the sonographic guided approach to investigation and local injection therapy of a small joint in a patient with psoriatic arthritis (PA). methods: Sonographic pictures are obtained using a high frequency ultrasonography apparatus equipped with a 13-MHz transducer. RESULTS: ultrasonography allows a careful morphostructural assessment of soft tissue involvement in PA patients. Sonographic findings include joint cavity widening, capsular thickening, synovial proliferation, synovial fluid changes, tendon sheath widening. Ultrasound guided placement of the needle within the joint and injection of corticosteroid under sonographic control can be easily performed. CONCLUSIONS: High frequency ultrasonography is a quick and safe procedure that allows a useful diagnostic and therapeutic approach in patients with arthritis of small joints. ( info) |