Open-label study of infliximab treatment for psoriatic arthritis: clinical and magnetic resonance imaging measurements of reduction of inflammation.

Objective: To evaluate infliximab efficacy and safety in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-unresponsive psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: In a 54-week, open-label, compassionate-use study, 10 patients received intravenous infliximab (5 mg/kg; weeks 0, 2, 6; individualized dosing after week 10). Patients continued their current therapy (stable dose) until week 10.

Ultrasound in the evaluation of an unusual periarticular soft tissue tuberculosis.

This case report describes a 19-year-old patient with a swelling of the interphalangeal joint of the left thumb. Conventional radiography revealed erosive changes and a periarticular osteopenia. A marked increase in bone turnover of the entire thumb and wrist region was confirmed scintigraphically.

NMR monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody therapy.

The aim of this study was to investigate if dynamic gadolinium-DTPA-supported magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can monitor the therapeutic effect of a fast-acting immuno-modulating drug like anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-alpha) monoclonal antibody (moab) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Dynamic MR imaging was performed on 64 joints in a total of 18 patients before and after infusion with either a placebo or 1 or 10 mg/kg of anti-TNF-alpha moab. Additionally, treating the placebo group and reinfusing the verum group with either 3 or 10 mg/kg was monitored by quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Color Doppler imaging versus phlebography in the diagnosis of deep leg and pelvic vein thrombosis.

The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the accuracy of color Doppler imaging in comparison to phlebography in diagnosing phlebothrombosis. Five hundred and twenty-six phlebographies (reference method) were compared with 526 color Doppler sonographic examinations. Thrombosis diagnosed with color Doppler imaging showed a sensitivity of 98.