Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology marked by symmetric, peripheral polyarthritis. RA has a prevalence of 1-2% in the general adult population. The mortality rate in patients with RA increases during the course of the disease, with a tendency to accelerate after 15 yearsAim: To study the pulmonary manifestations and their severity using [Disease Activity Score (DAS)-28 score] in patients of RAMaterials and methods: Present study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Sardar Patel Medical College and Associated Group of Hospitals Bikaner, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, on 100 patients. This study was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted over 1 year. Consecutive cases of RA patients attending the outpatient department or admitted to the medicine wards were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteriaResults: Pulmonary manifestation was present in a total of 38% of cases, while the remaining 62% of cases had no pulmonary manifestation. The presence of comorbidity and C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly associated with pulmonary manifestation in RA patients. On high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), the most common finding was interstitial lung disease (ILD) (60.5%), with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) as the most common pattern. On performing a pulmonary function test (PFT), 33 patients (86.84%) had an abnormal result, with restrictive as the most common patternConclusion: The patients of RA, especially those with advanced age, long duration of disease, male sex, and associated comorbidity, should be screened for pulmonary complications of RA using X-ray chest and PFT, supplemented by HRCT chest wherever required.
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Cureus
December 2024
Family Medicine, Unidade de Saúde Familiar (USF) Amato Lusitano, Unidade Local de Saúde (ULS) de Amadora/Sintra, Amadora, PRT.
Sarcoidosis is a rare, multisystemic disease of unknown etiology, characterized by noncaseating granulomas in various organs. The disease often presents with nonspecific symptoms that complicate the diagnosis. We describe the case of a 31-year-old woman who presented to her family doctor with weight loss, cervical lymphadenopathy, parotid edema, and cutaneous lesions, initially raising suspicion of a lymphoproliferative disorder.
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December 2024
Pharmacy, Punjab University College of Pharmacy, Lahore, PAK.
Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL), also known as congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL), is an exceptionally rare autosomal recessive disorder marked by a significant deficiency of adipose tissue throughout the body. This lack of adipose tissue, normally found beneath the skin and between internal organs, leads to impaired adipocyte formation and fat storage, causing lipids to accumulate in atypical tissues such as muscles and the liver. The extent of adipose tissue loss directly influences the severity of symptoms, which can include a muscular appearance, increased appetite, bone cysts, marrow fat depletion, acromegalic features, severe insulin resistance, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hepatic steatosis, hepatomegaly, cirrhosis, and intellectual disability.
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December 2024
Pulmonology, Israeli-Georgian Multiprofile Medical Center "Healthycore", Tbilisi, GEO.
This study describes a 64-year-old female with a history of hepatitis C and cryoglobulinemia, who presented with respiratory symptoms, including dry cough, shortness of breath, and fever, alongside joint pain and fatigue. Initial workup revealed interstitial pneumonia, supported by chest imaging, and the patient was treated for pneumonia with standard antibiotic therapy. Despite no renal involvement, a hallmark of cryoglobulinemia, further testing confirmed elevated serum cryoglobulin levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Case Rep Intern Med
November 2024
Department of Lung Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia.
Background: Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) is a rare subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myositis often linked with the presence of autoantibodies targeting melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5). Patients with CADM are at increased risk of developing rapidly progressing interstitial lung disease, which significantly increases both morbidity and mortality compared to other forms of inflammatory myopathies. While there is no standardized treatment regimen, current therapeutic strategies are generally focused on combination immunosuppressive therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Thorac Surg Short Rep
December 2024
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Torsion of extralobar pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital anomalous condition that can manifest with various symptoms, including abdominal pain. However, a masslike lesion in the mediastinum can be easily overlooked when the clinician focuses only on abdominal pain. By using magnetic resonance imaging, a few features specific to the torsion of extralobar pulmonary sequestration can be identified, and that information will be helpful.
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