Rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathies, and relapsing polychondritis.

The neurologic complications of rheumatic disease are highly variable and their manifestations are linked to the pathogenesis and clinical phenotype of the specific rheumatologic syndrome. In active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the peripheral nervous system is most commonly involved and mononeuritis multiplex, nerve entrapment and vascultitic sensorimotor neuropathy are not uncommon. Central nervous system complications such as pachymeningitis and cerebral vasculitis are rare.

Survival and extrapulmonary course of connective tissue disease after lung transplantation.

Background: Connective tissue disease (CTD)-related lung dysfunction is a common cause of morbidity and mortality; however, few lung transplantations (LTs) are performed in this population secondary to uncertainty regarding the posttransplant survival, outcome, and management.

Objectives: The objectives were to evaluate the survival and the pulmonary and extrapulmonary courses of CTD after LT.

Methods: Survival outcomes of patients documented within the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network who had undergone a LT for CTD were compared with those who underwent LT for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).