Spinal IgG4-Related Hypertrophic Pachymeningitis with Spinal Cord Compression: Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Back pain is a leading reason for patients to seek medical attention. Although musculoskeletal causes are common, patients can also present with rarer etiologies.

Case Description: A 50-year-old man presented with 2 months of isolated upper back pain initially suspected to be secondary to overuse muscular strain.

Microscopic polyangiitis with dermatomyositis.

Dermatomyositis is a rare autoimmune disease with a heterogeneous presentation that often has multiple extramuscular manifestations, although it does not typically involve the renal function. A 62-year-old female presented with proximal muscle weakness and rashes, which are classic symptoms of dermatomyositis without creatine kinase (CK) elevation. Initial serologic evaluation revealed a positive p-ANCA, although she did not develop renal failure for several months, at which point renal biopsy findings were consistent with microscopic polyangiitis.

Joint-specific assessment of swelling and power Doppler in obese rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: Clinical swollen joint examination of the obese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient can be difficult. Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSUS) has higher sensitivity than physical examination for swollen joints (SJ). The purpose of this study was to determine the joint-specific association between power Doppler (PDUS) and clinical SJ in RA across body mass index (BMI) categories.

Zoster Vaccine and the Risk of Postherpetic Neuralgia in Patients Who Developed Herpes Zoster Despite Having Received the Zoster Vaccine.

Background: Although it is evident that zoster vaccination reduces postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) risk by reducing herpes zoster (HZ) occurrence, it is less clear whether the vaccine protects against PHN among patients who develop HZ despite previous vaccination.

Methods: This cohort study included immunocompetent patients with HZ. The vaccinated cohort included 1155 individuals who were vaccinated against HZ at age ≥60 years and had an HZ episode after vaccination.