From the clinical point of view, a proper diagnosis of spigelian, inguinal and femoral hernias may be relevant for orienting the patient’s management, as these conditions carry a different risk of ...complications and require specific approaches and treatments. Imaging may play a significant role in the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected abdominal hernias, as the identification and categorization of these conditions is often unfeasible on clinical ground. Ultrasound imaging is particularly suited for this purpose, owing to its dynamic capabilities, high accuracy, low cost and wide availability. The main limitation of this technique consists of its intrinsic operator dependency, which tends to be higher in difficult-to-scan areas such as the groin because of its intrinsic anatomic complexity. An in-depth knowledge of the anatomy of the lower abdominal wall is, therefore, an essential prerequisite to perform a targeted ultrasound examination and discriminate among different types of regional hernias. The aim of this review is to provide a detailed analysis of the fascial architecture and aponeurotic passageways of the abdominal wall through which spigelian, inguinal and femoral hernias extrude, by means of schematic drawings, ultrasound images and video clips. A reasoned landmark-based ultrasound scanning technique is described to allow a prompt and reliable identification of these pathologic conditions.
Antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCPs) are useful for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) were described recently in RA. The aims ...of this study were to evaluate the usefulness of anti-MCV for diagnosing RA in anti-CCP-negative patients and to monitor anti-MCV titres during infliximab therapy for RA.
We studied two groups of RA patients, one with (n = 80) and one without (n = 76) anti-CCP antibodies. The specificity of anti-MCV was evaluated by investigating 50 healthy controls and 158 patients with other rheumatic diseases (51 psoriatic rheumatism, 58 primary Sjögren syndrome, and 49 ankylosis spondylitis). Serum anti-MCV and anti-CCP titres were measured in 23 patients after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of infliximab treatment. Anti-CCP2 and anti-MCV levels were assayed using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgM rheumatoid factor was determined by nephelometry.
In accordance with the cutoff values recommended by the manufacturer, the specificity of anti-MCV antibodies was 90.9%. We adjusted the cutoff values to obtain the same specificity as that of anti-CCP antibodies (94.2%). With this optimal cutoff, anti-MCV antibodies were found in 11.8% (9/76) of RA patients without anti-CCP, and similarly, anti-CCP antibodies were found in 11.2% (9/80) of RA patients without anti-MCV. Anti-MCV antibodies were positive in 6 patients who tested negative for both anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor. Anti-MCV titres were significantly decreased after 18 and 24 months of infliximab therapy compared with baseline (P < 0.01) as a significant decrease of anti-CCP levels occurred only at 24 months (P < 0.04). Moreover, an anti-MCV decrease was significantly associated with DAS28 (disease activity score using 28 joint counts) improvements 12 months into therapy.
Our results suggest that anti-MCV antibodies may be valuable for diagnosing RA in anti-CCP-negative patients without replacing them as an equivalent number of anti-CCP-positive RA patients test negative for anti-MCV. Moreover, anti-MCV antibodies could be useful for monitoring the effects of infliximab therapy.
Back to the roots of rheumatology – Imaging of regional pain syndromes Bruns, Alessandra; Möller, Ingrid; Martinoli, Carlo
Baillière's best practice and research in clinical rheumatology/Baillière's best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology,
December 2020, 2020-12-00, 20201201, Letnik:
34, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Musculoskeletal regional pain syndromes (RPS) often lead to patient referrals in general and rheumatological practice. Detailed history taking and clinical examination can, in most cases, reveal the ...cause for pain and direct the subsequent management of the conditions.
Yet, when in doubt, imaging methods, such as ultrasound (US) may support the clinical assessment. This paper reviews the underlying pathologies of some of the most frequently encountered RPS and the role of musculoskeletal US imaging for their diagnosis and treatment. If available, data on diagnostic accuracy and comparisons with gold standards are reported. The article stresses the importance of anatomical and sonoanatomical knowledge for the proper interpretation of the US images, points out the advantages and disadvantages of this imaging tool, and suggests the future research agenda.
In 2001, the European League Against Rheumatism developed and disseminated the first guidelines for musculoskeletal (MS) ultrasound (US) in rheumatology. Fifteen years later, the dramatic expansion ...of new data on MSUS in the literature coupled with technological developments in US imaging has necessitated an update of these guidelines.
To update the existing MSUS guidelines in rheumatology as well as to extend their scope to other anatomic structures relevant for rheumatology.
The project consisted of the following steps: (1) a systematic literature review of MSUS evaluable structures; (2) a Delphi survey among rheumatologist and radiologist experts in MSUS to select MS and non-MS anatomic structures evaluable by US that are relevant to rheumatology, to select abnormalities evaluable by US and to prioritise these pathologies for rheumatology and (3) a nominal group technique to achieve consensus on the US scanning procedures and to produce an electronic illustrated manual (ie, App of these procedures).
Structures from nine MS and non-MS areas (ie, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot, peripheral nerves, salivary glands and vessels) were selected for MSUS in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) and their detailed scanning procedures (ie, patient position, probe placement, scanning method and bony/other landmarks) were used to produce the App. In addition, US evaluable abnormalities present in RMD for each anatomic structure and their relevance for rheumatology were agreed on by the MSUS experts.
This task force has produced a consensus-based comprehensive and practical framework on standardised procedures for MSUS imaging in rheumatology.
Objective
To assess whether children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in clinical remission show pathologic findings on either gray‐scale or power Doppler ultrasound of their joints.
Methods
...Children with JIA were eligible if they were in clinical remission for at least 3 months, as defined by the absence of clinically active joints and serologic markers of inflammation. Gray‐scale as well as power Doppler ultrasonography of the wrist, knee, and ankle were carried out on previously affected joints and unaffected contralateral joints. Images were read by 2 independent readers. Findings were categorized as 1) structural abnormalities in the case of synovial thickening or increased joint fluid on gray‐scale ultrasound or 2) power Doppler positive in the case of an abnormal power Doppler signal.
Results
The study cohort consisted of 28 patients. Eight of 14 patients with previous wrist involvement had pathologic gray‐scale findings, and 3 of these 14 patients also had pathologic Doppler findings in the wrist. None of the 20 patients with past knee involvement had pathologic gray‐scale or Doppler findings in the knee. Six of 15 patients with previous ankle involvement had pathologic gray‐scale findings and 1 of the 15 patients had pathologic Doppler findings in the tibiotalar joint.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that some patients who meet clinical criteria for remission continue to show ongoing pathology on joint ultrasound, which may be suggestive of persistent inflammation.
To describe clinical outcomes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in a prospective inception cohort of children managed with contemporary treatments.
Children newly diagnosed with JIA at 16 ...Canadian paediatric rheumatology centres from 2005 to 2010 were included. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for each JIA category were used to estimate probability of ever attaining an active joint count of 0, inactive disease (no active joints, no extraarticular manifestations and a physician global assessment of disease activity <10 mm), disease remission (inactive disease >12 months after discontinuing treatment) and of receiving specific treatments.
In a cohort of 1104 children, the probabilities of attaining an active joint count of 0 exceeded 78% within 2 years in all JIA categories. The probability of attaining inactive disease exceeded 70% within 2 years in all categories, except for RF-positive polyarthritis (48%). The probability of discontinuing treatment at least once was 67% within 5 years. The probability of attaining remission within 5 years was 46-57% across JIA categories except for polyarthritis (0% RF-positive, 14% RF-negative). Initial treatment included joint injections and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for oligoarthritis, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for polyarthritis and systemic corticosteroids for systemic JIA.
Most children with JIA managed with contemporary treatments attain inactive disease within 2 years of diagnosis and many are able to discontinue treatment. The probability of attaining remission within 5 years of diagnosis is about 50%, except for children with polyarthritis.
Objective
Musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) has the potential to be an important tool in the assessment of disease activity in childhood arthritides. To assess pathology, clear definitions for ...synovitis need to be developed first. The aim of this study was to develop and validate these definitions through an international consensus process.
Methods
The decision on which US techniques to use and the components to be included in the definitions, as well as the final wording, were developed by 31 US experts in a consensus process. A Likert scale of 1–5 (where 1 = complete disagreement and 5 = complete agreement) was used. A minimum of 80% of the experts scoring 4 or 5 was required for final approval. The definitions were then validated on 120 standardized US images of the wrist, metacarpophalangeal joints, and tibiotalar joints, displaying various degrees of synovitis at various ages.
Results
B‐mode and Doppler should be used for assessing synovitis in children. A US definition of the various components (i.e., synovial hypertrophy, effusion, and Doppler signal within the synovium) was developed. The definition was validated on still images with a median of 89% of participants (range 80–100) scoring it as 4 or 5 on a Likert scale.
Conclusion
US definitions of synovitis and its elementary components covering the entire pediatric age range were successfully developed through a Delphi process and validated in a web‐based still‐images exercise. These results provide the basis for the standardized US assessment of synovitis in clinical practice and research.
Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can produce a broad range of disease-specific neuropsychiatric manifestations that must be differentiated from ...infections, metabolic complications, and drug-induced toxicity. Despite the development of classification criteria by the American College of Rheumatology, the prevalence of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) varies widely across studies. Some of the neuropsychiatric manifestations are extremely rare, indicating a need for multicenter studies. Mechanisms that can lead to neuropsychiatric manifestations include intracranial vascular lesions (vasculitis and thrombosis); production of autoantibodies to neuronal antigens, ribosomes, and phospholipids; and inflammation related to local cytokine production. As a rule, no reference standard is available for establishing the diagnosis of NPSLE. Several investigations can be used to assist in the clinical diagnosis and to evaluate severity. Treatment remains largely empirical, given the absence of controlled studies. Variable combinations of corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and symptomatic drugs are used according to the presumptive main pathogenic mechanism.
The aim was to describe the design, methods and initial findings of a new Canadian inception cohort of children with JIA, The Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators (CAPRI) JIA ...Registry.
The CAPRI JIA Registry was started in 2017 to collect information prospectively on children enrolled within 3 months of JIA diagnosis across Canada. The registry has a non-traditional modular design, with no artificially set times for registry visits to occur, streamlined multi-method data collection that requires 2-4 min per visit, and reports cumulative incidence of treatments, outcomes and adverse events calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival methods.
A total of 166 patients, enrolled a median of 6 weeks after JIA diagnosis at 10 centres, were included. The median age at diagnosis was 9 years interquartile range (IQR) 3, 13, 61% were female and 51% had oligoarticular JIA. The median three-variable clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score was 6.5 (IQR 4, 10) at enrolment, and the median time to first attainment of clinically inactive disease (CID) was 24 weeks (by 1 year, 81%). Within 1 year of diagnosis, 70% of patients had started a DMARD and 35% a biologic agent. The rates of adverse events and serious adverse events were 60 and 5.8 per 100 patient-years, respectively.
This streamlined and flexible registry minimizes the burden of data collection and interference with clinic operations. Initial findings suggest that treatments for newly diagnosed patients with JIA in Canada have intensified, and now 81% of patients attain CID within 1 year of diagnosis.
Objective
To describe the frequency and severity of parent‐reported medication side effects (SEs) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) relative to physician‐reported actionable ...adverse events (AEs), and to assess their impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).
Methods
Newly diagnosed JIA patients recruited between 2017 and 2019 to the Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators (CAPRI) Registry were included. Parents reported presence and severity (0 = no problem, 10 = very severe) of medication SEs at every clinic visit. Physicians were asked to report any actionable AE. HRQoL was assessed using the Quality of My Life (QoML) questionnaire (0 = the worst, 10 = the best) and parent's global assessment (0 = very well, 10 = very poor). Analyses included proportion of visits with SEs or actionable AEs, cumulative incidence by Kaplan‐Meier methods, and HRQoL impact measured with longitudinal mixed‐effects models.
Results
SEs were reported at 371 of 884 (42%) visits (95% confidence interval 95% CI 39, 45%) in 249 patients, with a median of 2 SEs per visit (interquartile range IQR 1–3), and median severity of 3 (IQR 1.5–5). Most SEs were gastrointestinal (32.5% of visits) or behavioral/psychiatric (22.4%). SE frequency was lowest with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs alone (34.7%) and highest with prednisone and methotrexate combinations (66%). SE cumulative incidence was 67% (95% CI 59, 75) within 1 year of diagnosis, and 36% (95% CI 28, 44) for actionable AEs. Parent global and QoML scores were worse with SEs present; the impact persisted after adjusting for pain and number of active joints.
Conclusion
Parents report that two‐thirds of children with JIA experience SEs impacting their HRQoL within 1 year of diagnosis. SE mitigation strategies are needed in managing JIA.
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