Ultrasound-guided insulin injection for carpal tunnel syndrome in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Objective: To compare effectiveness of ultrasound-guided local insulin injection, local steroid injection, and local steroid followed by insulin injections in treating mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Method: Study included 60 patients with electrophysiologic evidence of mild to moderate CTS. They were randomly divided into three groups: group I received insulin injection locally into the affected carpal tunnel at first visit and a similar dose after 2 weeks; group II received single injection of 40 mg methylprednisolone acetate injection; and group III received steroid injection then followed by insulin injection twice after 2 and 4 weeks.

Serum interleukin-6 in systemic sclerosis and its correlation with disease parameters and cardiopulmonary involvement.

Objective: To assess serum interleukin-6 (IL-6)level in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its correlations with European Scleroderma Study Group activity score (EUSTAR), Scleroderma Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), disability index and cardiopulmonary involvement.

Methods: Twenty SSc patients and 10 matched healthy controls were included. Serum IL-6 was measured in patients and controls.

Ultrasonographic findings of Achilles tendon and plantar fascia in patients with calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease.

The aims of the study were to detect the frequency of involvement of the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia in patients with calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) by high-frequency gray-scale ultrasonography (US) and power Doppler sonography (PDS) and to correlate these findings with demographic and clinical data. Two groups of patients were enrolled: group I (38 patients with CPPD) and group II (22 patients with knee OA). US/PDS examination of the heels was performed to both groups.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of articular chondrocalcinosis.

To investigate the role of high-frequency ultrasonography in the diagnosis of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) calcifications, in the most commonly affected joints in CPPD disease. Sixty patients with knee effusion were included in the study. All patients underwent musculoskeletal ultrasonography (on the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and knee joints), radiological examination of the sites examined by US, and synovial fluid analysis (using polarized light microscopy).

Asymptomatic pulmonary hypertension in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious and often fatal complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because the diagnosis of PAH often is made years after symptom onset, early diagnostic strategies are essential. Doppler echocardiography currently is considered the noninvasive screening test of choice for evaluating pulmonary hypertension.

Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand serum and synovial fluid level. A comparative study between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

To assess the levels of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) in serum and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and to correlate its levels with disease activity and severity. Serum and SF levels of RANKL were measured in 24 patients with RA (Group I) and 20 patients with OA (Group II); patients were selected according to the ACR criteria, and serum RANKL was measured in 13 healthy controls. All patients were subjected to full rheumatological assessment.