French recommendations for the management of systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a generalized disease of the connective tissue, arterioles, and microvessels, characterized by the appearance of fibrosis and vascular obliteration. There are two main phenotypical forms of SSc: a diffuse cutaneous form that extends towards the proximal region of the limbs and/or torso, and a limited cutaneous form where the cutaneous sclerosis only affects the extremities of the limbs (without passing beyond the elbows and knees). There also exists in less than 10% of cases forms that never involve the skin.

[Exploring illness perceptions of lupus patients for a motivational environment in therapeutic education].

Purpose: Therapeutic education (TE) intends to help patients with systemic lupus erythematosus to better understand their disease and to improve their quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess illness perceptions of the person to provide a motivational environment for TE.

Methods: Systemic lupus erythematosus patients followed in the department of internal medicine in Lille university hospital responded to a questionnaire assessing five dimensions of the person as proposed by Giordan: the cognitive (knowledge), perceptual (fatigue and pain), affective (anxious and depressive symptoms), infra-cognitive (intimate reasoning) and metacognitive (worldview) dimensions.

[Complaints, needs of patients with systemic sclerosis: a better understanding for a better care].

Purpose: Systemic sclerosis (ScS) is very heterogeneous in its clinical presentation and its therapeutic care is not codified. A better knowledge of the patients' needs and complaints could improve the patient educational strategies and their global care.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire aimed to the ScS patient was developed by subspecialty physicians and nurses involved in patient education.

[Economic evaluation of at home subcutaneous and intravenous immunoglobulin substitution].

Background: Intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) immunoglobulin (Ig) administration is a safe and an efficacious treatment in patients with IgG deficiency. Home administration of IV Ig and SC Ig has recently been approved in France. Most of the patients treated in hospital ask for home treatment.