Foot involvement in systemic sclerosis: a longitudinal study of 100 patients.

Objective: To investigate the clinical and radiologic features of foot involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Patients: One hundred patients (91 women, 9 men; mean age, 51.9 +/- 11 years) with SSc (mean disease duration, 17.

Assessment of pituitary gonadotropin release to gonadotropin releasing hormone/thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation in women with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate basal and dynamic levels of pituitary gonadotropin release in female systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients of childbearing age and in post-menopausal SSc patients.

Methods: We performed stimulation tests for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TRH) during the early follicular phase in 12 women of childbearing age [mean age (S.E.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate serum levels in systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate in a cohort of women with systemic sclerosis (SSc) the dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) serum levels and their relationship with disease severity.

Methods: DHEAS serum concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in 40 SSc patients and compared with those in 40 controls matched for sex and reproductive status. IL-2 sR alpha was evaluated as a disease activity index.

Pure red cell aplasia in Felty's syndrome: a case report of successful reversal after cyclosporin A treatment.

We describe the first report of a patient with Felty's syndrome who developed pure red cell aplasia, likely not attributable to medication, that was successfully treated with cyclosporin A.

The predictive value of attributes of pain to classify rheumatoid arthritis.

Out of 2300 patients with rheumatic diseases 1627 were analysed to develop a classification of rheumatoid arthritis based on clinical attributes of pain. Of these, 641 patients had the disease and 986 were controls with other rheumatic conditions. For traditional format classification, six of eight variables were selected: pain at a fixed joint; symmetrical pain; continuous pain; pain mainly present at night or in the morning; pain following joint pressure; and pain decreased by load/movement.

Clinical pattern of pain in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a characteristic clinical pattern of pain which may be useful as a criterion to differentiate RA from other rheumatic diseases.

Methods: 2300 patients from the ReumaLink data bank project with definite rheumatic diseases were studied. Of these 907 patients (39.

Scleroderma renal crisis analysis of prevalence and outcome in a large italian series.

During a 30-year period, 323 SSc patients were admitted to a tertiary center specialized in connective tissue diseases. Among them 13 (4|X%) developed scleroderma renal crisis (SRC). These 13 SRC patients with respect to the remaining SSc patients were older, were more often affected by diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc), and had slightly higher blood pressure and more frequent heart involvement at initial presentation.