Increasing echogenicity of diffuse circumferential thickening ("macaroni sign") of the carotid artery wall with decreasing inflammatory activity of Takayasu arteritis.

We report a case of sonographic follow-up showing brightening of the diffuse circumferential thickening (halo) of the carotid artery wall (the so-called "macaroni sign") in a patient with decreasing inflammatory activity of Takayasu arteritis over a 6-month period. Sonographic follow-up in patients with Takayasu arteritis may be a useful complementary tool for evaluation of inflammatory activity. Besides a reduction of halo diameter, an increase in wall echogenicity appears to be a sign of decreasing inflammation.

[Assessment of musculoskeletal pain].

The rationale for a successful treatment of musculoskeletal pain is an adequate initial assessment. Standardized questionnaires, modern imaging modalities such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and musculoskeletal ultrasound or electrophysiology have enriched our armamentarium in the last decades. Pain inducing pathologies can often be identified and treated in a targeted way due to these procedures.

Effects of TNF antagonists on sperm characteristics in patients with spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To study the influence of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists on spermatogenesis in a cohort of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Patients And Methods: Semen samples of 26 patients with SpA were analysed according to WHO 1999 guidelines with and without TNF blocking agents (infliximab, etanercept or adalimumab).

Results: were compared with semen samples of 102 healthy volunteers.

Reduced trabecular bone mineral density and cortical thickness accompanied by increased outer bone circumference in metacarpal bone of rheumatoid arthritis patients: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess three-dimensional bone geometry and density at the epiphysis and shaft of the third meta-carpal bone of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in comparison to healthy controls with the novel method of peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT).

Methods: PQCT scans were performed in 50 female RA patients and 100 healthy female controls at the distal epiphyses and shafts of the third metacarpal bone, the radius and the tibia. Reproducibility was determined by coefficient of variation.