1,721,123 research outputs found
High resolution computed tomography in systemic sclerosis: From diagnosis to follow-up
No full textEarly diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) is crucial in systemic sclerosis (SSc) for both management and treatment. However, diagnosing SSc-ILD can be challenging because symptoms of lung involvement are often non-specific at the early stages of disease. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest is recognized as the most accurate imaging modality for baseline and follow-up evaluation of SSc-ILD. Key features of SSc-ILD on HRCT include a non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) pattern, with peripheral ground-glass opacities and extensive traction bronchiectasis. Less common HRCT manifestations include usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern, followed by diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) and organizing pneumonia (OP). The extent of disease on HRCT is known to relate with prognosis and serial assessments can be helpful in monitoring disease progression or treatment response. We discuss the main chest computed tomography (CT) manifestations of SSc, highlighting the role of imaging at both baseline and follow-up evaluations
Abnormal Cardiac Biomarkers in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and No Prior Heart Disease: The Role of Endomyocardial Biopsy
No full textTselios, et al reported in their recent study that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who receive prolonged antimalarial (AM) treatment are at increased risk for elevated cardiac biomarkers [brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (HS-cTnI)], particularly when persistently elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) is present1 Among a well-characterized SLE cohort of 179 patients, the authors found that 16 (all without cardiac disease, renal failure, or pulmonary arterial hypertension) presented an increase of at least 1 cardiac biomarker
Relationship Between Ventricular Arrhythmias, Conduction Disorders, and Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis
No full textSuccessful use of ixekizumab for glucocorticoid-free remission maintenance in giant cell arteritis
Full text linkCardiac involvement, a threatening very early manifestation of systemic sclerosis: evidence from VEDOSS patients
No full textFirst clinical description of cardiac involvement in patients with very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosi
Efficacy and safety of apremilast for Behçet's syndrome: a real-life single-centre Italian experience
No full textTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of apremilast in treating oral ulcers (OUs), the cardinal and high-disabling feature of Behçet's disease (BD)
Impact of Exposure to Environmental Particulate Matter on the Onset of Giant Cell Arteritis
No full textObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <= 10 mu m (PM10) and the development of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and its ischemic complications.MethodsThis was case-crossover study on consecutive patients who received a diagnosis of GCA in three hospitals in northern Italy between 2013 and 2021. The PM10 hourly and daily average concentrations, collected in the Italian monitoring network and archived by Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, were determined using European reference. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to determine patients' daily exposures to them. We employed conditional logistic regression to estimate the effect of exposure on GCA symptoms onset or ischemic complications.ResultsWe included 232 patients. A positive association was observed between exposure to PM10 and GCA risk, with an incremental odd of 27.1% (95% confidence interval 5.8-52.6) for every 10-mu g/m3 increase in PM10 concentration within a 60-day period. We did not find any significant association for shorter periods or with ischemic complications. Subgroup analysis found a significantly higher incremental risk at a 60-day lag for patients >= 70 years old. Comparing patients who were chronically exposed to high PM10 levels (26.9 +/- 13.8 mu g/m3) to those who were not (11.9 +/- 7.9 mu g/m3) revealed that only in the former group was there an association between GCA onset and increased PM10 levels in the preceding 60 days.ConclusionExposure to environmental PM10 in the preceding 60 days seems to be associated with an increased risk of developing GCA, especially in older individuals with prolonged exposure to high levels of air pollution
Association of anti-RNA polymerase III antibody with silicone breast implants rupture in a multicentre series of Italian patients with systemic sclerosis
No full textSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous systemic autoimmune disease with distinct subsets identified by specific autoantibodies. Some environmental agents might play a role in SSc pathogenesis, including silicone breast implants (SBI). This association has been controversial in previous literature and only few studies reported the auto-antibody status in these SSc women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of SBI with SSc in a large cohort of Italian patients, classified according to their SSc-related autoantibodies and to their history of breast cancer
Large Vessel Vasculitis Affecting the Aorta and Its Branches in Relapsing Polychondritis: Case Series and Systematic Review of the Literature
No full textTo describe the features of large vessel vasculitis (LVV) affecting the aorta and its branches in relapsing polychondritis (RP) patients
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