AI Article Synopsis
- The study looked at 43 patients with a condition called systemic sclerosis (SSc) to see how common certain joint problems were and how they affected the patients.
- Researchers used special ultrasound machines to check the patients' hands and wrists, comparing their findings to 35 healthy people.
- They found that many SSc patients had painful or swollen joints, but only a small number had inflammatory arthritis, indicating that other problems like bone growth could be causing the pain.
Article Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical associations of ultrasound (US) findings of inflammatory arthritis and joint and soft tissue pathology in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Methods: The hands and wrists of 43 SSc patients and 35 age-balanced controls were evaluated by clinical exam and musculoskeletal US. Synovial and tenosynovial pathology were assessed using semi-quantitative Gray Scale (GS) and Power Doppler (PD) scoring. US evaluation for osteophytes, erosions, ulnar artery occlusion, and median nerve cross-sectional areas was performed. Tender joints (TJ), swollen joints (SJ), modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), digital ulcers, contractures, and calcinosis were evaluated. Concordance between US and physical exam findings at each joint region were assessed, and associations between their severity were analyzed.
Results: TJs and SJs were present in 44.2% and 62.8% of SSc patients, respectively. Inflammatory arthritis, defined as having both GS>0 and PD>0, was observed in 18.6% of SSc patients and no controls. There was a high concordance by joint region between GS synovial hypertrophy and osteophytes (κ=0.88) as well as TJs (κ=0.72). SSc patients had more osteophytes compared to controls (48.8% vs 22.9%, p = 0.018) as well as higher osteophyte severity (p = 0.033).
Conclusions: Despite a high percentage of tender and swollen joints, less than 20% of SSc patients met criteria for inflammatory arthritis on US. The high concordance of osteophytes with GS synovial hypertrophy and tender joints suggest that osteophytosis may be a significant contributor to joint pain in SSc patients.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8384688 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.04.020 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The burden of illness of the organ manifestations of systemic sclerosis: a pragmatic, targeted review.
Clin Exp Rheumatol
January 2025
Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Objectives: This structured, targeted literature review aimed to assess the mortality, humanistic and economic burden of eight organ manifestations which are commonly experienced by systemic sclerosis patients.
Methods: Identification of relevant literature was carried out by searching in Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE, PubMed, and NHS Economic Evaluation Database in August 2023. Studies reporting original data on patients with systemic sclerosis with at least one of eight organ manifestations (interstitial lung disease and/or pulmonary hypertension, skin, peripheral vascular, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, cardiac or renal involvement) published within the last 15 years were included.
Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease, frequently affecting the skin, lungs, and pulmonary vasculature. Approximately 30-50% of SSc patients develop interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), with 30-35% of related deaths attributed to it. Even though men are less likely to develop systemic sclerosis, they have a higher incidence of SSc-ILD than women, and they tend to develop it at a younger age with a higher mortality rate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInpatient service utilization amongst infants diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection (RSV) in the United States.
PLoS One
January 2025
Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States of America.
Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization among US infants. Characterizing service utilization during infant RSV hospitalizations may provide important information for prioritizing resources and interventions.
Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the procedures and services received by infants hospitalized during their first RSV episode in their first RSV season, in addition to what proportion of infants died during this hospitalization.
Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplant as an Effective Treatment Modality for Systemic Sclerosis and Multiple Myeloma.
J Blood Med
January 2025
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multi-system disease characterized by a dysregulated immune system. Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is the only treatment that has been shown to confer significant benefit in controlling disease and improving survival for patients with SSc. A diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) after the diagnosis of SSc is rare and optimal treatment in such cases remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRAPO Attenuates Dermal and Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Mouse Model of Systemic Sclerosis through Macrophage Modulation and Growth of Short-Chain Fatty Acid Producers.
Immune Netw
December 2024
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Korea.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease with an unclear etiology and no effective treatments. Recent research has suggested involvement of the microbiome in SSc pathogenesis. This study aimed to identify specific microbial species associated with SSc and explore their therapeutic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!