Prediction of response to disease modifying antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: To investigate potential predictors of response to conventional DMARDs in RA.

Methods: Study design - 6-month follow-up prospective study.

Participants: RA patients with active disease.

Chronic Brucella infection of the humerus diagnosed after a spontaneous fracture.

Brucellosis is uncommon in humans and only rarely manifests as osteomyelitis. We report the case of a 57-year-old patient with chronic Brucella osteomyelitis of both humeri. The diagnosis was established upon evaluation of a spontaneous fracture of the right humerus.

Coexistence of intravertebral vacuum and intradiscal vacuum.

Introduction: The pathophysiology of intravertebral vacuum (IVV) remains unclear, although vertebral osteonecrosis is often incriminated. Gas may migrate from the disk to the vertebral body. The objective of this study was to investigate the relations between IVV and intradiscal vacuum (IDV).

"Occult" osteoporotic vertebral fractures: vertebral body fractures without radiologic collapse.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Objectives: We report our experience with patients who presented with osteoporotic vertebral fractures with no visible deformation of vertebral body.

Summary Of Background Data: The diagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fractures largely relies on the observation of vertebral deformations on plain radiographs, termed vertebral collapses.