MRI and ultrasonography for detection of early interphalangeal osteoarthritis.

Objectives: To assess the interest of MRI and ultrasonography (US) in identifying early and advanced interphalangeal (IP) OA.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study including patients with symptomatic hand OA (n=33) and young healthy volunteers (n=26). Proximal and distal IP joints were graded according to Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grades.

The prognostic value of G8 for functional decline.

Purpose: Clinical experience suggests that functional decline (FD) during treatment may have a major adverse impact on outcome. Geriatric assessment of older patients before cancer treatment is usually based on use of a screening tool (such as G8) followed by comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). However, many oncology teams cannot implement geriatric oncology management due to non-availability of geriatricians.

Multidisciplinary development of the Geriatric Core Dataset for clinical research in older patients with cancer: A French initiative with international survey.

Background: To define a core set of geriatric data to be methodically collected in clinical cancer trials of older adults, enabling comparison across trials.

Patients And Methods: Following a consensus approach, a panel of 14 geriatricians from oncology clinics identified seven domains of importance in geriatric assessment. Based on the international recommendations, geriatricians selected the mostly commonly used tools/items for geriatric assessment by domain (January-October 2015).

Trends in patterns of antidepressant use in older general population between 2006 and 2012 following publication of practice guidelines.

Objective: The French regulatory agency published in 2006 practice guidelines related to the management of depressive and anxiety disorders. The main objective of the study was to assess their impact regarding use and monitoring of antidepressant drug treatment in older patients. The secondary objective was to identify factors associated with compliance with practice guidelines.

Compliance of psychotropic drug prescription with clinical practice guidelines in older inpatients.

Several practice guidelines were published by French regulatory agencies between 2006 and 2009 to improve psychotropic drug use in older patients. The objectives of the study were to assess compliance with these guidelines in older patients hospitalized in psychiatric units and to identify characteristics associated with compliance. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 117 patients aged 65 years and older hospitalized in two psychiatric departments of a public hospital, at three dates randomly chosen between January and May 2014.

The effect of tocilizumab on bone mineral density, serum levels of Dickkopf-1 and bone remodeling markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Unlabelled: Previous studies showed that the control of inflammation by biological therapies has a positive effect on bone in inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone remodeling of an anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody (tocilizumab (TCZ)) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: One hundred and three patients (75% women, 52±12years) with active RA were treated with TCZ 8mg/kg + methotrexate (MTX) every 4 weeks during 48 weeks.

Antidepressant treatment patterns in younger and older adults from the general population in a real-life setting.

Objective: The treatment of depression in real-life settings appears to be influenced by health care systems. Antidepressant drugs have been found to be underused in the older population relative to younger adults when refunding of such drugs is poor. No study assessed the pattern of antidepressant use according to age in a universal health care system.

Factors influencing concordance between clinical and ultrasound findings in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Clinical joint examination (CJE) is less time-consuming than ultrasound (US) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Low concordance between CJE and US would indicate that the 2 tests provide different types of information. Knowledge of factors associated with CJE/US concordance would help to select patients and joints for US.

The ability of synovitis to predict structural damage in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparative study between clinical examination and ultrasound.

Objectives: To evaluate synovitis (clinical vs ultrasound (US)) to predict structural progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with RA.

Study Design: Prospective, 2-year follow-up.

Power Doppler ultrasound, but not low-field magnetic resonance imaging, predicts relapse and radiographic disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis patients with low levels of disease activity.

Objective: Subclinical inflammation and radiographic progression have been described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients whose disease is in remission or is showing a low level of activity. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict relapse and radiographic progression in these patients.

Methods: Patients with RA of short or intermediate duration that was either in remission or exhibiting low levels of activity according to the Disease Activity Score (DAS) were included in the study.

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography in healthy subjects and ultrasound criteria for early arthritis (the ESPOIR cohort).

Objective: To confirm the occurrence of bone erosions and synovitis in healthy subjects detectable by ultrasound (US) and to establish US criteria for early arthritis.

Methods: Our study involved 127 healthy subjects matched with a cohort of patients with early arthritis (the ESPOIR cohort). The second and fifth metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and the fifth metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint of both hands and feet were assessed with US to detect bone erosion; and the second, third, fourth, and fifth MCP and the fifth MTP were evaluated for synovial thickening in B-mode US and synovial vascularity in power Doppler.

Ultrasound features of nonstructural lesions of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the hands in patients with finger osteoarthritis.

Objectives: To describe the ultrasound features of nonstructural damage (effusions, synovitis, Doppler signal abnormalities) in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints of the fingers in patients with finger osteoarthritis compared to healthy controls.

Methods: We included patients at a hospital-based outpatient rheumatology clinic who met American College of Rheumatology criteria for finger osteoarthritis and we compared them to healthy controls. Exclusion criteria were the same in both groups.

Reproducibility of joint swelling assessments in long-lasting rheumatoid arthritis: influence on Disease Activity Score-28 values (SEA-Repro study part I).

Objectives: To evaluate the reproducibility of clinical synovitis assessments in rheumatoid arthritis and the effect of variability on the Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28).

Methods: Seven healthcare professionals from different cities examined the same patients with active non-early rheumatoid arthritis (RA; duration > 4 yrs), for whom a treatment change was being considered. There was no training session and the examination was to be performed as quickly as possible.

Reproducibility of joint swelling assessment by sonography in patients with long-lasting rheumatoid arthritis (SEA-Repro study part II).

Objective: To evaluate the intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility of B-mode and power Doppler (PD) sonography in patients with active long-standing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) comparatively with clinical data.

Methods: In each of 7 patients being considered for a change in their RA treatment regimen, 7 healthcare professionals examined the 28 joints used in the Disease Activity Score 28-joint count (DAS28). Then 7 sonographers examined each of the 7 patients twice, using previously published B-mode and PD grading systems.

Benefits of ultrasonography in the management of early arthritis: a cross-sectional study of baseline data from the ESPOIR cohort.

Objective: To assess ultrasonography's (US) performance to detect the structural damage in the initial evaluation of early arthritis (EA) using the Etude et Suivides Polyarthrites Indifférenciées Récentes (ESPOIR) cohort.

Methods: ESPOIR is a French, multi-centric EA cohort. Four centres assessed the structural damage by both X-ray and US examination at baseline.

Evaluation of several ultrasonography scoring systems for synovitis and comparison to clinical examination: results from a prospective multicentre study of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To evaluate different global ultrasonographic (US) synovitis scoring systems as potential outcome measures of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials (OMERACT) filter.

Methods: To study selected global scoring systems, for the clinical, B mode and power Doppler techniques, the following joints were evaluated: 28 joints (28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28)), 20 joints (metacarpophalangeals (MCPs) + metatarsophalangeals (MTPs)) and 38 joints (28 joints + MTPs) using either a binary (yes/no) or a 0-3 grade. The study was a prospective, 4-month duration follow-up of 76 patients with RA requiring anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy (complete follow-up data: 66 patients).

Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in early diagnosis of metatarsal bone stress fractures: a pilot study of 37 patients.

Objective: To date, early diagnosis of stress fractures depends on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or bone scan scintigraphy, as radiographs are usually normal at onset of symptoms. These examinations are expensive or invasive, time-consuming, and poorly accessible. A recent report has shown the ability of ultrasonography (US) to detect early stress fractures.

High frequency of ultrasonographic effusion in interphalangeal joints of healthy subjects: a descriptive study.

Objective: To describe echographic abnormalities on the proximal (PIP) and distal (DIP) interphalangeal joints of healthy subjects.

Methods: Healthy asymptomatic volunteers under forty were enrolled. Ultrasonography was performed on PIP and DIP 2-5 in the presence of two operators.

Diagnosis of synovitis by ultrasonography in RA: a one-year experience is enough for reliability on static images.

Objective: To evaluate the inter- and intra-observer agreement of ultrasonographic metacarpophalangeal joint static images in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by two investigators with different ultrasonographic experience.

Methods: Ultrasonography was performed by the senior on 386 metacarpophalangeal joints respectively in B-mode and 408 in power Doppler of 17 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. A first interpretation was done and images were stored at examination time.

Parkinson's disease with camptocormia.

Background: Camptocormia is defined as an abnormal flexion of the trunk that appears when standing or walking and disappears in the supine position. The origin of the disorder is unknown, but it is usually attributed either to a primary or a secondary paravertebral muscle myopathy or a motor neurone disorder. Camptocormia is also observed in a minority of patients with parkinsonism.

Back problems in Parkinson's disease: an underestimated problem.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: To estimate the extent of back pain in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Summary Of Background Data: PD is a common and disabling condition during the course of which back pain may develop.