The effect of gender on disease activity and clinical characteristics in patients with axial psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of gender on clinical findings, disease activity, functional status and quality of life in patients with axial involvement in Turkey.

Methods: Patients with PsA who met the CASPAR classification criteria were enrolled consequently in this cohort. Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR)-Network was formed with the participation of 25 centres.

Enthesitis and its relationship with disease activity, functional status, and quality of life in psoriatic arthritis: a multi-center study.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis with distinct phenotypic subtypes. Enthesitis is assigned as a hallmark of the disease, given its significant relations to disease activity and quality of life. Our objective is to evaluate the prevalence of enthesitis and its association with some clinical parameters, particularly quality of life, using data from a national registry.

Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) Recommendations for the Pharmacological Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis: 2018 Update Under Guidance of Current Recommendations.

Objectives: This study aims to report the assessment of the Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) expert panel on the compliance and adaptation of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2016 recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Turkey.

Patients And Methods: The EULAR 2016 recommendations for the treatment of RA were voted by 27 specialists experienced in this field with regard to participation rate for each recommendation and significance of items. Afterwards, each recommendation was brought forward for discussion and any alteration gaining ≥70% approval was accepted.

Management of Psoriatic Arthritis: Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) Expert Opinions.

Objectives: This study aims to establish the first national treatment recommendations by the Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR) for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) based on the current evidence.

Patients And Methods: A systematic literature review was performed regarding the management of PsA. The TLAR expert committee consisted of 13 rheumatologists and 12 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists experienced in the treatment and care of patients with PsA from 22 centers.

Turkish League Against Rheumatism Consensus Report: Recommendations For Management of Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: This study aims to update 2011 Turkish League Against Rheumatism SpondyloArthritis Recommendations, and to compose a national expert opinion on management of axial spondyloArthritis under guidance of current guidelines, and implantation and dissemination of these international guidelines into our clinical practice.

Patients And Methods: A scientific committee of 28 experts consisting of 14 rheumatologists and 14 physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists (one of them also has an immunology PhD) was formed. The recommendations, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment were scrutinized paying special attention with convenient key words.

The prevalence of infectious agents in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background/aim: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by microvascular injury, excessive extracellular matrix deposition, and fibrosis in the skin and internal organs. Bacterial and viral infectious agents have been suspected to be contributing factors in the development and progression of the pathologic features of SSc.

Materials And Methods: In this study, 30 SSc patients who were admitted to the rheumatology unit of the Konya Training and Research Hospital and 30 healthy controls were included.

The effect of etanercept on a case of amyloidosis secondary to ankylosing spondylitis: results of 2-year follow-up.

Secondary amyloidosis (type AA) is rarely encountered but can be a significant complication of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and may lead to proteinuria and renal dysfunction. Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNFα) agents may be used to induce clinical remission by suppressing systemic inflammation in secondary amyloidosis. The patient described , with the diagnosis of AS, was diagnosed with secondary amyloidosis, despite treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic medication.

Femoral cartilage thickness measurements in healthy individuals: learning, practicing and publishing with TURK-MUSCULUS.

Background And Objectives: Measurement of the femoral cartilage thickness by using in-vivo musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) has been previously shown to be a valid and reliable method in previous studies; however, to our best notice, normative data has not been provided before in the healthy population.The aim of our study was to provide normative data regarding femoral cartilage thicknesses of healthy individuals with collaborative use of MSUS.

Methods: This is across-sectional study run at Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Departments of 18 Secondary and Tertiary Centers in Turkey.

The serum levels of resistin in ankylosing spondylitis patients: a pilot study.

Resistin is a recently described adipokine which is a member of cysteine-rich secretory protein family. Although it has been primarily defined in human adipocytes, it has been identified that its level was higher in mononuclear leukocytes, macrophages, spleen, and bone marrow cells. Because ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease, it is suspected that upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines is effective in its immunopathogenesis.

Sacroiliac joint involvement in psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a skin disorder that is associated with arthritis. Sacroiliac joint involvement is considered to be less frequent than the other types of psoriatic arthritis. Additionally, the psoriatic sacroiliitis is considered to be asymmetric in general.

Validation of the Turkish version of the Quebec back pain disability scale for patients with low back pain.

Study Design: A reliability and validity study of a translated, culturally adapted questionnaire.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to translate the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QDS) into Turkish, to perform its cross-cultural adaptation for Turkish patients with LBP, and to investigate its validity and test-retest reliability.

Summary Of Background Data: As a widely used scale in the evaluation of patients with low back pain (LBP), the QDS awaits formal translation and validation into Turkish to achieve an equivalent questionnaire and to allow comparability of data.

Acromegalic arthropathy of the hip: a case report.

Acromegaly is a chronic and slowly developing endocrinopathy caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone and consequently of insulin like growth factor-1. The arthropathy in acromegaly can affect both axial and peripheral joints and it may present as the earliest clinical symptom of the disease. Patients with acromegaly may have high prevalence of joint related comorbidity and a reduced self perceived quality of life.

Positiveness of purified protein derivatives in rheumatoid arthritis patients who are not receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

In recent years, biological agents have emerged as the most popular drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The most frightening side effects of biological agents are infections, with tuberculosis being the leader. On account of the fact that biological agents have been used widespread, a number of algorithms have been developed to search latent tuberculosis.

Internal iliac artery pseudoaneurysm: an unusual cause of sciatica and lumbosacral plexopathy.

This report describes an unusual case of lumbosacral plexopathy resulting from internal iliac artery pseudoaneurysm. A 50-yr-old woman presented with multiple penetrating trauma to the thorax, abdomen, and left buttock. Several weeks after the injury, severe sciatica and motor dysfunction developed in her left leg.

Hyperostosis frontalis interna in a patient with giant cell arteritis.

Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is a disorder characterized by progressive symmetric thickening of the inner table of the frontal bone of the human skull. HFI may be accompanied by headache and some neuropsychiatric diseases such as epilepsy and dementia. Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, is a systemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown etiology that affects medium- and large-sized arteries.

Superior vena cava syndrome associated with Behcet's disease and 18 months' follow up: a case report.

Behcet's disease is a multisystemic disorder that the main pathological defect is vasculitis and superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) caused by vasculopathy is a rare manifestation of the disease. Although successful results of endovascular surgery were observed in some cases, medical therapy may have priority among the treatment alternatives because of the high risk of surgery due to the lesional localization of the vessel. In this report, a Behcet's disease case with SVCS and 18 months' follow-up data with medical therapy is presented.

Spontaneous pneumothorax in Wegener's granulomatosis: a case report.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a multiorgan system disease of unknown etiology characterized by granulomatous inflammation, tissue necrosis, and variable degrees of vasculitis in small- and medium-sized blood vessels. In patients with WG, the musculoskeletal system can be involved before other typical symptoms of the disease. Also in WG, pneumothorax can develop as a rare complication.

A co-occurrence of sarcoidosis and ankylosing spondylitis: a case report.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory multi-system disease, which may cause articular involvement. By causing sacroiliitis, it may mimic spondyloarthropathies. A case with a co-occurrence of sarcoidosis and late-onset of typical ankylosing spondylitis was presented and a possible association between these two entities was discussed.

Complex regional pain syndrome in stroke patients.

The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence, and the factors influencing the development, of complex regional pain syndrome-I in the upper extremity in hemiplegic patients within the first 28 weeks following a stroke. We followed up 82 stroke patients. All patients were evaluated at weeks 2, 6, 14 and 28 after suffering a stroke.

Legg-Perthes disease-like joint involvement and diagnosis delay in Scheie syndrome: a case report.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type I is an inherited disease caused by the absence or malfunctioning of lysosomal enzymes. Three subtypes, based on severity of symptoms, were described, and Scheie syndrome (also called MPS I S) is the mildest form. Although there may be some typical extra-articular manifestations, musculoskeletal involvement may be the only presenting sign in the absence of other symptoms in the patients with less severe forms.