EULAR recommendations for the use of imaging of the joints in the clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations on the use of imaging of the joints in the clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The task force comprised an expert group of rheumatologists, radiologists, methodologists and experienced rheumatology practitioners from 13 countries. Thirteen key questions on the role of imaging in RA were generated using a process of discussion and consensus.

Pain pharmacotherapy in patients with inflammatory arthritis and concurrent cardiovascular or renal disease: a Cochrane systematic review.

Background: Pain in inflammatory arthritis (IA) is common and often multifactorial, and many different pharmacotherapeutic agents are routinely used for pain management. There are concerns that some current pain pharmacotherapies may increase the risk of adverse events in patients with concurrent cardiovascular (CV) or renal disease.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed searching Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, DARE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Safety of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and/or paracetamol in people receiving methotrexate for inflammatory arthritis: a Cochrane systematic review.

Objective: To systematically review the literature on the safety of using nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) and/or paracetamol in people receiving methotrexate (MTX) for inflammatory arthritis (IA), as an evidence base for generating clinical practice recommendations.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed using the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, and conference proceedings for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) for 2008-2009. The search aimed to identify studies describing adverse events (AE) with the concurrent use of paracetamol and/or NSAID in people taking MTX for IA.

Idiopathic inflammatory myositis-associated interstitial lung disease: ethnicity differences and lung function trends in a British cohort.

Objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an important feature of idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM). Factors associated with its development and progression remain incompletely understood. The authors report ethnicity differences and lung function trends that characterize the predilection for and natural history of ILD in a group of British patients with IIM.

Multinational evidence-based recommendations for pain management by pharmacotherapy in inflammatory arthritis: integrating systematic literature research and expert opinion of a broad panel of rheumatologists in the 3e Initiative.

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations for pain management by pharmacotherapy in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA).

Methods: A total of 453 rheumatologists from 17 countries participated in the 2010 3e (Evidence, Expertise, Exchange) Initiative. Using a formal voting process, 89 rheumatologists representing all 17 countries selected 10 clinical questions regarding the use of pain medications in IA.

Safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin and paracetamol (acetaminophen) in people receiving methotrexate for inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, other spondyloarthritis).

Background: Methotrexate is routinely used in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis. There have been concerns regarding the safety of using concurrent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, or paracetamol (acetaminophen), or both, in these people.

Objectives: To systematically appraise and summarise the scientific evidence on the safety of using NSAIDs, including aspirin, or paracetamol, or both, with methotrexate in inflammatory arthritis; and to identify gaps in the current evidence, assess the implications of those gaps and to make recommendations for future research to address these deficiencies.

Pain management for rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular or renal comorbidity.

Background: Pain in rheumatoid arthritis is common, is often multi-factorial and many different pharmacotherapeutic agents are routinely used for pain management. There are concerns that some of the pain pharmacotherapies currently used may increase the risk of adverse events in people with rheumatoid arthritis and concurrent cardiovascular or renal disease.

Objectives: To systematically assess and collate the scientific evidence on the efficacy and safety of using pain pharmacotherapy in people with rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular or renal comorbidities.

Tumour necrosis factor antagonists and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review.

Objectives: RA is associated with early ischaemic heart disease. This appears to be driven largely by the presence of chronic inflammation. Studies suggest that treatment with disease-modifying drugs such as MTX may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events in RA.

Mycobacterium bovis discitis as a complication of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy.

We report a culture-proven case of Mycobacterium bovis discitis in a 67-year-old man who had received intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for bladder cancer 5 years previously. He presented with severe low back pain, and imaging revealed features of discitis and paraspinal abscesses. On aspiration of the abnormal tissue, culture confirmed infection with M.

The effect of methotrexate on cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review.

Objectives: Patients with RA have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is due to traditional risk factors and the effects of chronic inflammation. MTX is the first-choice DMARD in RA.

Effective measurement of knee alignment using AP knee radiographs.

The gold standard for measuring knee alignment is mechanical axis determined using full-limb radiographs (FLR). Measurement of joint alignment using antero-posterior (AP) knee radiographs is more accessible, economical and involves less radiation exposure to the patient compared with using full-limb radiographs. The aim of this study was to compare and assess the reproducibility of knee joint axial alignment on full-limb radiographs and conventional AP knee radiographs.