Neck pain from a rheumatologic perspective.

This article provides a comprehensive review of rheumatologic considerations for a clinician when evaluating a patient with neck pain. Clearly, anatomic derangements of the cervical spine should be considered when a patient complains of cervicalgia. However, one must also entertain the possibility of a systemic illness as the cause of the pain.

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma and lymphangioleiomyomatosis: sex-specific diseases?

The striking similarity between benign metastasizing leiomyoma and lymphangioleiomyomatosis is that they both affect young women. This observation underscores the importance of gender-dependent variables in disease and our lack of understanding of gender differences. Many researchers are currently investigating the link between disease and hormone levels in the body.

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): examining oral contraceptive pills and the onset of disease.

Background: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare pulmonary disease of women of unknown etiology. Diffuse cystic changes associated with multifocal clusters of smooth muscle-like cells (LAM cells) replace normal lung parenchyma, leading to progressive loss of lung function. Reports of exacerbations of LAM with the use of exogenous estrogens and during pregnancy suggest an association between hormones and clinical deterioration.