Etanercept compared to intraarticular corticosteroid injection in rheumatoid arthritis: double-blind, randomized pilot study.

Objective: To compare etanercept (anti-tumor necrosis factor-α) with intraarticular (IA) corticosteroid injections to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with RA who had persistent monoarthritis received etanercept or IA corticosteroid injections. Efficacy was compared at Weeks 4 and 24.

Injection of intra-articular sodium hyaluronidate (Sinovial) into the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb (CMC1) in osteoarthritis. A prospective evaluation of efficacy.

Objective: To compare the efficacy on pain relief and function of one, two or three injections of intra-articular hyaluronic acid in symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb (CMCJ).

Methods: Among subjects with symptomatic OA of the CMCJ of the thumb referred to the Rheumatology Department of Nice, patients free of any joint injection in last 6months with pain visual analogue score (VAS) >40 and with Kellgren and Lawrence score between 2 and 4 were included. Each subject was randomly allocated to receive, at weekly intervals, 1 (group 1) or 2 (group 2) or 3 injections (group 3) of 1ml Sodium Hyaluronidate (Sinovial).

New-onset psoriatic palmoplantaris pustulosis following infliximab therapy: a class effect?

Reports of induction or exacerbation of psoriatic palmoplantaris pustulosis (PPPP) after anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) treatment are few. We describe 2 new cases of PPPP induced by infliximab. In 1999, a total of 442 patients in our department received anti-TNF-alpha treatment for a variety of chronic rheumatic conditions and were regularly followed.

Rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathies: geographical variations in prevalence in France.

Objective: To determine geographical variation in the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathies (SpA) in France.

Methods: The survey sample was drawn from 7 areas of France. Households were randomly selected using the national telephone directory, and an individual within each household was randomly chosen by the next-birthday method.

Lumbosacral pain: chordoma--a diagnosis not to forget.

Chordomas are rare tumours (1-4%) whose origin is remnants of the embryonic primitive foetal notochord. Estimated incidence is 0.51 cases per million.