513 research outputs found
How should we use the visual analogue scale (VAS) in rehabilitation outcomes? I: How much of what? The seductive vas numbers are not true measures
No full textUltrasonography of salivary glands in primary Sjogren's syndrome: a comparison with contrast sialography and scintigraphy
No full textUltrasonography of salivary glands in primary Sjogren's syndrome: a comparison with contrast sialography and scintigraphy Author(s): Salaffi, F (Salaffi, F.)1; Carotti, M (Carotti, M.)2; Iagnocco, A (Iagnocco, A.)3; Luccioli, F (Luccioli, F.)4; Ramonda, R (Ramonda, R.)5; Sabatini, E (Sabatini, E.)3; De Nicola, M (De Nicola, M.)6; Maggi, M (Maggi, M.)6; Priori, R (Priori, R.)3; Valesini, G (Valesini, G.)3; Gerli, R (Gerli, R.)4; Punzi, L (Punzi, L.)5; Giuseppetti, GM (Giuseppetti, G. M.)2; Salvolini, U (Salvolini, U.)6; Grassi, W (Grassi, W.)1 Source:
RHEUMATOLOGY Volume: 47 Issue: 8 Pages: 1244-1249
DOI: 0.1093/rheumatology/ken222 Published: AUG 2008 Times Cited: 10 (from Web of Science) Cited References: 40 [ view related records ] Citation Map Abstract: Objective. To compare ultrasonography (US) of salivary glands with contrast sialography and scintigraphy, in order to evaluate the diagnostic value of this method in primary SS (pSS).
Methods. The diagnostic value of parotid gland US was studied in 77 patients with pSS (male/female ratio 3/74; mean age 54 yrs) and in 79 with sicca symptoms but without SS. The two groups were matched for sex and age. Imaging findings of US were graded using an ultrasonographic score ranging from 0 to 16, which was obtained by the sum of the scores for each parotid and submandibular gland. The sialographic and scintigraphic patterns were classified in four different stages. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) was employed to evaluate the screening methods performance.
Results. Of the 77 patients with pSS, 66 had abnormal US findings. Mean US score in pSS patients was 9.0 (range from 3 to 16). Subjects without confirmed pSS had the mean US score 3.9 (range from 0 to 9) (P < 0.0001). Results of sialography showed that 59 pSS patients had abnormal findings at Stage 1 (n = 4), Stage 2 (n = 8), Stage 3 (n = 33) or Stage 4 (n = 14), and 58 patients had abnormal scintigraphic findings at Stage 1 (n = 11), Stage 2 (n = 18), Stage 3 (n = 25) or Stage 4 (n = 4). Through ROC curves US arose as the best performer (AUC = 0.863 +/- 0.030), followed by sialography (AUC = 0.804 +/- 0.035) and by salivary gland scintigraphy (AUC = 0.783 +/- 0.037). The difference between AUC-ROC curve of salivary gland US and scintigraphy was significant (P = 0.034). Setting the cut-off score 6 US resulted in the best ratio of sensitivity (75.3%) to specificity (83.5%), with a likelihood ratio of 4.58. If a threshold 8.0 was applied the test gained specificity, at the cost of a serious loss of sensitivity (sensitivity 54.5%, specificity 97.5%, likelihood ratio 21.5).
Conclusions. Salivary gland US is a useful method in visualizing glandular structural changes in patients suspected of having pSS and it may represent a good option as a first-line imaging tool in the diagnostics of the disease. Accession Number: WOS:000257787200026 Document Type: Article Language: English Author Keywords: Sjogren's syndrome; salivary glands; ultrasonography; sialography; salivary gland scintigraphy; diagnosis KeyWords Plus: COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY; PAROTID SIALOGRAPHY; CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA; DIAGNOSTIC-CRITERIA; SICCA SYNDROME; BIOPSY; ECHOGRAPHY Reprint Address: Salaffi, F (reprint author), Univ Politecn Marche, Cattedra Reumatol, Via Colli 52, Ancona, Italy Addresses:
1. Polytechn Univ Marche Reg, Dept Rheumatol, Ancona, Italy
2. Polytechn Univ Marche Reg, Dept Radiol, Ancona, Italy
3. Univ Rome, Rheumatol Unit Sapienza, Rome, Italy
4. Univ Perugia, Dept Clin & Expt Med, Rheumatol Unit, I-06100 Perugia, Italy
5. Univ Padua, Dept Clin & Expt Med, Rheumatol Unit, Padua, Italy
6. Polytechn Univ Marche Reg, Dept Neuroradiol, Ancona, Italy E-mail Address: [email protected] Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS, GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND Web of Science Category: Rheumatology Subject Area: Rheumatology IDS Number: 328GU ISSN: 1462-032
Pain in rheumatic diseases: how relevant is it?
No full textPain, a complex phenomenon influenced by a series of genetic, biological, psychological and social factors, is a major component of many rheumatological conditions and the result of physiological interactions between central and peripheral nervous system signalling. It may be acute or chronic (generally defined as lasting ≥ three months): acute pain is often primarily attributable to inflammation and/or damage to peripheral structures (i.e. nociceptive input), whereas chronic pain is more likely to be due to input from the central nervous system (CNS). The many different aspects of pain mean that rheumatologists and other clinicians need to have enough expertise to diagnose the type of pain correctly and treat it appropriately. However, most rheumatologists receive little formal training concerning contemporary theories of pain processing or management, and this may affect the clinical results of any specific target therapy
The fate of the patient with musculoskeletal disorders in Italy: an epidemiological insight.
No full textPROSPECTIVE RHEUMATOLOGICAL STUDY OF MUSCLE AND JOINT SYMPTOMS DURING TRICHINELLA-NELSONI INFECTION
No full textAB1065 Preliminary findings of a 2-months acupuncture intervention on symptomatology and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia
No full textRelationship between physical impairment, psychological variables and pain in rheumatoid disability. An analysis of their relative impact
No full textTreating rheumatoid arthritis to target: an Italian rheumatologists survey on the acceptance f the treat-to-target recommendations
No full textOBJECTIVES:
An educational programme was conducted in Italy in order to favour the diffusion of the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations among Italian rheumatologists. Our objective was to measure the level of acceptance and applicability of the 10 recommendations to treat RA to a target of remission/low disease activity in the Italian rheumatology community, before and after the educational programme.
METHODS:
One hundred rheumatologists working throughout Italy were invited to participate in this two-stage web-based survey (S1-2). Three questions concerning agreement with, applicability of and possible barriers to the applicability of each of the ten T2T recommendations were administered before (S1) and after (S2) an educational event on the T2T strategy in RA. The agreement with each of the 10 recommendations was measured by a 10-point Likert scale. The applicability of each recommendation was assessed by a 5-point Likert scale (never, almost never, sometimes, almost always, always). Finally, three possible barriers to each recommendation applicability were identified.
RESULTS:
Seventy-one rheumatologists participated in S1 and 61 in S2. Level of agreement was high (mean score: 8.9 in S1, 9.1 in S2), with each recommendation receiving a score ≥7.9. The highest agreement score was achieved by recommendation 7 in both surveys. Recommendation 8 received the lowest overall agreement in both surveys. Concerning applicability, the majority of responses was 'almost always'. Following the educational programme, the mean degree of agreement with the recommendations increased significantly for recommendations 3, 4, 6, and 10.
CONCLUSIONS:
The level of knowledge of and agreement with the T2T recommendations for RA among Italian rheumatologists is high and increased significantly for some recommendations following a specific educational event, indicating that a deeper knowledge of the T2T strategy may increase agreement and acceptance
Musculoskeletal imaging of the inflammatory and degenerative joints: current status and perspectives
No full text- …
