Effectiveness of early adalimumab therapy in psoriatic arthritis patients from Reuma.pt - EARLY PsA.

Objective To compare outcomes in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients initiating adalimumab (ADA), with short- and long-term disease duration and to evaluate the potential effect of concomitant conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARD) or glucocorticoids. Methods Analyses included adult PsA patients registered in the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register (Reuma.pt) between June 2008-June 2016 who received ADA for ≥3 months.

Portuguese recommendations for the use of biological therapies in patients with axial spondyloarthritis--December 2011 update.

Objective: To develop recommendations for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis with biological therapies, endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology.

Methods: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists based on literature evidence and consensus opinion. A draft of the recommendations and supporting evidence was first circulated to all Portuguese rheumatologists and their suggestions were incorporated in the draft.

2011 Portuguese recommendations for the use of biological therapies in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To develop recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with biological therapies, endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology.

Methods: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists based on literature evidence and consensus opinion. A draft of the recommendations was first circulated to all Portuguese rheumatologists and their suggestions were incorporated in the draft.

[Practical guide for the use of biological agents in rheumatoid arthritis - December 2011 update].

The authors review the practical aspects of biological therapy use for rheumatoid arthritis patients, commenting safety issues before and after treatment initiation and the best treatment strategies to optimize efficacy.

Portuguese guidelines for the use of biological agents in rheumatoid arthritis - October 2011 update.

The authors present the revised version of the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR) guidelines for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with biological therapies. In these guidelines the criteria for introduction and maintenance of biological agents are discussed as well as the contraindications and procedures in the case of nonresponders. Biological treatment (with a tumour necrosis factor antagonist, abatacept or tocilizumab) should be considered in RA patients with a disease activity score 28 (DAS 28) equal to or greater than 3.

Portuguese guidelines for the use of biological agents in rheumatoid arthritis - March 2010 update.

The authors present the revised version of the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR) guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biological therapies. In these guidelines the criteria for introduction and maintenance of biological agents are discussed as well as the contraindications and procedures in the case of non-responders. Biological treatment should be considered in RA patients with a disease activity score 28 (DAS 28) superior to 3.

Increased efficacy of infliximab associated with methotrexate in ankylosing spondylitis.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the efficacy of infliximab (IFX) combined with methotrexate (MTX) versus IFX alone in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: The study was a 30weeks open label and prospective study of parallel groups in 19 patients with active AS. These patients had shown incomplete therapeutic response to standard therapy (full dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: NSAIDs) and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs: DMARDs (MTX or sulfasalazine: SLZ) for a period of at least 12 weeks and were treated with IFX (5mg/kg).

[Anti-TNF alfa therapy in ankylosing spondylitis].

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory chronic disease that affects young males and in more than 90% of cases is associated with HLA B27 antigen. Therapeutic options for those patients with spondyloarthropathies have been limited during the last decades. Infliximab and etanercept are both approved for the treatment of patients with active disease that does not respond to conventional therapies.

[Osteopoikilosis: 2 clinical cases].

Osteopoikilosis is a rare, benign and autosomal dominant bone disease. It is usually asymptomatic and diagnosed as a radiological finding. Plain X- Ray films show multiple sclerotic lesions on periarticular areas, epiphyses and metaphyses of long tubular bones.

[Back pain and dorsal kyphosis in childhood].

Juvenile idiopathic osteoporosis (JIO) is a rare condition of unknown aetiology, with pre-pubertal onset and frequently spontaneous remission after puberty. We report a case of a 14 years old boy, which two years before began dorso-lumbar pain with dorsal kyphosis. At the age of 12, he was on percentil 25 for height and had no other symptoms or alterations on physical exam.