The effect of intra-articular triamcinolone preparations on blood glucose levels in diabetic patients: a controlled study.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of intra-articular (IA) triamcinolone hexacetonide (TAH) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on blood glucose levels in patients with controlled diabetes with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK).

Methods: Patients with controlled diabetes with symptomatic OAK who failed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy and use modern versions of self-monitoring blood glucose devices were offered an IA injection of either 20 mg of TAH or 40 mg of TA. If agreed, patients were asked to document blood glucose levels before and 2 hr after meals for 1 week before and daily for 5 days then every other day for 1 week following the injection.

Local effects of intra-articular corticosteroids.

Intra-articular corticosteroid injection (IACI) is a very popular procedure. In this review, we wanted to review all that had been published about local effects of IACIs. English literature search was made through PubMed using the terms intra-articular and local effect.

Systemic effects of intra-articular corticosteroids.

The objective of this study was to review all the published articles in the English literature about the systemic effects of intra-articular corticosteroid injection (IACI) in humans. Reports were searched through Pubmed using the terms intraarticular or intra-articular and steroids, corticosteroids, or glucocorticosteroids up and including the year 2007. Reports were also located through references of articles.

Penicillamine and nephrotic syndrome.

Background: Penicillamine (PA) treatment may be associated with a wide spectrum of adverse effects. There are many case reports and small series of PA-induced nephrotic syndrome (NS). In addition to our patient, in this study, we review all the cases of NS due to PA treatment in the English literature.

Lack of effect of corticosteroid injection at the shoulder joint on blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

The effect of systemic glucocorticosteroids on the metabolism of glucose is well known; however, there are no reports on the effect of intraarticular steroids on the metabolism of glucose in diabetic patients. Controlled or near controlled diabetic patients who have self-monitoring devices for home monitoring of blood glucose with shoulder pain were offered an intraarticular crystalloid steroid injection of 35 mg of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) at the shoulder joint after failure of pharmacological and physical therapy. Patients were asked to record blood glucose levels before and 2 h after breakfast, lunch, and supper (six times a day) every other day during 1 week before the injection and during the day of the injection, the next day and every other day for 2 weeks after the injection.

A novel approach of local corticosteroid injection for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The objective of the study was to compare the favorable response rate, time duration, and pain level of local corticosteroid injection using a novel approach for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome vs a classic approach. Patients with symptomatic carpal tunnel syndrome of less than 1-year duration were randomized for local corticosteroid injection using either the classic approach or a novel approach. In our approach (novel), we used a 29 gauge x 1/2-in.

Bone mineral density in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis treated with corticosteroids.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) prior to and 6 months after adding low-dose corticosteroid (CS) treatment. Adult patients (>21 years old) with early RA (symptom duration <1 year) and severe joint pain under maximal dose of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) were started on low-dose prednisone (10 mg/day). Patients were evaluated after 1, 3, and 6 months.

The utility of gallium scintigraphy in the evaluation of fever of unknown origin.

Background: Gallium scintigraphy is frequently used in the evaluation of fever of unknown origin, although its utility has been addressed in only a few studies.

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of gallium scintigraphy in the evaluation of patients with FUO in our department.

Methods: We reviewed the charts of all patients from our department who had undergone gallium scintigraphy during the years 1995-2002 for the evaluation of FUO and who met the criteria for the definition of FUO.

Sweet's syndrome after pneumonectomy.

We report the case of a 38-year-old woman in whom typical skin lesions of Sweet's syndrome developed 2 days after undergoing left pneumonectomy, which was done because of severe bronchiectasis related to remote chemotherapy and radiotherapy given for lung sarcoma at the age of 8 years. Later fever and leukocytosis appeared, and biopsy results of the skin lesions showed neutrophilic infiltration of the dermis compatible with the diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome. Postoperative Sweet's syndrome has been reported only twice in the world literature.

Hypergammaglobulinemic purpura in two sisters with Sjogren's syndrome responding to colchicine treatment.

Purpura is the hallmark of hypergammaglobulinemic purpura (HP). It appears mainly after strenuous activity in the dependent areas of the body. Treatment is mostly symptomatic.

Sweet's syndrome affecting the external auditory canal and tympanic membrane.

We report a patient who developed left ear pain, dry cough, and fever. The external auditory canal was tender, swollen, erythematous and full of debris. Later the patient developed widespread tender and red skin nodules and pustules that subsequently coalesced to form plaques.

Diabetic muscular infarction: emphasis on pathogenesis.

Diabetic muscular infarction is a rare complication of diabetes. It usually occurs in those with target organ involvement of diabetes, generally affecting one or a group of muscles of the thigh, and can recur. The pathogenesis of the disease is still not clear.

Systemic lupus erythematosus among Arabs.

Background: The prevalence of clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters in systemic lupus erythematosus differ among various ethnic groups. Few studies have reported on SLE in Arabs.

Objectives: To summarize the demographic, clinical and laboratory features of Arab SLE patients and to compare them with other series from different Arab countries.

Tumor lysis syndrome after hydrocortisone treatment in metastatic melanoma: a case report and review of the literature.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is 1 of the complications that usually follows chemotherapy treatment of myelo-lymphoproliferative diseases. Corticosteroids (CS) could also induce TLS in this type of malignancies. On the other hand, TLS in solid tumors is less frequent, and CS treatment was never reported to be associated with TLS in solid tumor.

Pure red cell aplasia and lupus.

Objective: To review the clinical and laboratory features of all reported patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA).

Methods: In addition to our patient, we identified cases reported during the years 1966-2000 by searching the MEDLINE literature (Winspirs). Clinical and laboratory features were compared with those reported in large series of patients with SLE but without PRCA.