Pain in systemic sclerosis.

Chronic pain is a healthcare problem that significantly affects the mental health, and the professional and private life of patients. It can complicate many disorders and represents a common symptom of rheumatologic diseases, but the data on its prevalence is still limited. Pain is a ubiquitous problem in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

[Response to anti-TNF-alpha treatment for secondary renal amyloidosis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis].

Renal amyloidosis is a complication of ankylosing spondylitis. A possible pathogenetic role is due to TNF-alpha, with a direct action on glomerular receptors TNFR2 and renal injury, secondary to deposition of amyloid fibrils. The most frequent clinical manifestation is proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome.

Associations between left ventricular myocardial involvement and endothelial dysfunction in systemic sclerosis: noninvasive assessment in asymptomatic patients.

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disorder characterized by widespread vascular lesions and fibrosis of skin and distinct internal organs. Cardiac involvement is a common finding in SSc, but often clinically occult.

Aim Of The Study: To analyze possible associations of left ventricular (LV) myocardial function with coronary flow reserve (CFR) and endothelial function in asymptomatic patients with SSc.

Early impairment of myocardial function in systemic sclerosis: non-invasive assessment by Doppler myocardial and strain rate imaging.

Background: Aim of the present study was to analyze both left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) myocardial function in patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), and their relation to other instrumental features of the disease.

Methods And Results: Twenty-five healthy subjects and 23 age- and sex-comparable asymptomatic patients classified as having either diffuse (11 patients) or limited form (12 patients) of SSc underwent clinical examination, serological tests, high-resolution chest-CT, standard Doppler echo, pulsed Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI) and strain rate imaging (SRI) of both LV and RV lateral walls. By chest-CT, 11 patients showed interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.

Associations of right ventricular myocardial function with skin and pulmonary involvement in asymptomatic patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disorder characterized by widespread vascular lesions and fibrosis of the skin and specific internal organs. Cardiac involvement is a common finding in SSc, but often clinically occult. The aim of the present study was to analyze both left and right ventricular (RV) myocardial function in patients with SSc, and their relation to other instrumental features of the disease.

[Association of systemic sclerosis and psoriatic arthritis: a case report].

The association of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is unfrequent; only few cases are reported in literature. We describe a case of a patient with SSc following the onset of PsA. The disease begun with tenosynovitis, polyarthritis in association with psoriasis.