Uveitis in the internist's office: are a patient's eye symptoms serious?

Uveitis is an inflammatory process that may affect one or several specific areas of the eye. But when a patient presents to an internist with eye symptoms, be it photophobia, "floaters," or red eye, the diagnosis is not always clear. If the diagnosis of uveitis is made, internists must search for an underlying cause, such as infection or an autoimmune disease.

Three rheumatologic emergencies: a sore toe, a cough, hypertension.

Patients often present to internists with symptoms that can represent a minor illness or a rheumatologic emergency. This paper discusses the recognition and treatment of three rheumatologic emergencies: septic arthritis, alveolar hemorrhage as a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and scleroderma renal crisis.

Understanding valvular heart disease in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

Specific systemic autoimmune diseases are associated with distict valvular heart disorders. We discuss the valvular disorders associated with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, the seronegative spondyloarthropathies, the systemic vasculitides, and scleroderma.

Polymyalgia rheumatica: clinical presentation is key to diagnosis and treatment.

Polymyalgia rheumatica should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients over 50 years old who present with bilateral achiness and stiffness in the shoulders or hips or both. It usually responds quickly to once-daily, low-dose prednisone, but some patients require treatment for several years. Polymyalgia rheumatica frequently overlaps with giant cell arteritis, and patients must be followed closely for development of complications from this condition, especially aortitis.