Physiotherapy in pauciarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Case study.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common arthropathy of childhood and adolescence. This term encompasses a group of chronic systemic inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue which cause arthritis in patients under 16 years of age lasting at least 6 weeks. The authors presented the characteristic features of physiotherapy based on functional examination results on the basis of two cases of girls with pauciarticular JIA treated according to an established pharmacological regimen.

Reactive arthritis.

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is a non-purulent joint inflammation that usually follows bacterial gastrointenstinal or urogenital infections. The classic presentation of ReA is characterized by an asymmetric arthritis usually in the lower limbs associated with urethritis, conjunctivitis and occurrence of other articular or extra-articular manifestations. ReA is classified as a type of seronegative spondyloarthopathy.

Prevalence of thyroid diseases and antithyroid antibodies in women with rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Thyroid abnormal function and and/or autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) are observed in 6% to 33.8% patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine whether ATD is more prevalent in patients with RA compared to the control group involving age and sex-matched subjects without RA and whether these patients should be screened for thyroid disease.

[Symptoms and signs of polymositis, systematic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome follow consecutively].

Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are very rare connective tissue disorders which only in exceptional circumstances affect white men. The present paper describes the case of an obese 55-years-old man in whom no muscular-skeletal system symptoms were found during the period of 2 years before the onset of arthritis, and who was treated because of cardiac involvement (pericarditis, PAF), pleuritis, malaise and fever. Only the occurrence of non erosive arthritis decided on the connective tissue disorder as a cause of his complaints.

[Social and economic aspects of osteoarthritis].

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. The incidence of the disease increases with age. Demographic forecasts predict aging of the population and an increase in the obesity rate in the society, the factors that contribute to the development of osteoarthritis.

[Polymyalgia rheumatica mimicking neoplastic disease--significant problem in elderly patients].

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a rheumatic disease which mainly affects the elderly, and is seldom diagnosed in patients <50 years of age. The prevalence of polymyalgia rheumatica is approximately 16.8 to 53.

[Elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis].

Elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA), defined as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with the onset at the age > or =60 differs sligthy at presentation from younger-onset RA (YORA) by a more equal sex distribution, a higher frequency of an acute onset, more frequent involvement of large joints, especially of the shoulder, and higher disease activity. Longitudinal studies have shown greater disease activity, more severe radiographic damage and functional decline in patients with EORA than in those with YORA. These differences were only found in seropositive patients.

[Are rheumatic complaints significantly related to functional ability after 60 year of age?].

Introduction: Medical care focused on functional abilities gives the elderly with arthritis a possibility of living an independent, active life and participating in social activities, and thus it is seen as the policy of equal chances.

Objectives: The aim of the current paper is the assessment of the Polish adult population mobility level, the changes coming with age, and the statistical significance of relations between rheumatic complaints and a decrease in functional abilities in the elderly.

Patients And Methods: The results of the all-Poland epidemiological research are presented.

[Antinucleolar antibodies in diagnostics of antiphospholipid syndrome].

Introduction: Anti "nucleolar" antibodies are estimated to be present in about 5-10% of anti-nuclear antibodies-positive (ANA), but only in about 15% of cases (sometimes in lower percentages) it is possible to assess precisely the specificity of antibodies responsible for this pattern of ANA. Nucleoli are composed of many proteins, e.g.

[The occurrence of anticardiolipin antibodies bound in circulating immunological complexes in sera of patients suffering from juvenile lupus erythematosus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

Background: The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APA), especially anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), antibodies against beta2-glikoprotein I and lupus anticoagulant leads to thrombotic disorders. The pathogenetic role of APA in children is not exactly explained. The frequency of occurrence of APA and antiphospholipid syndrom in children is 2 to 3 times lower than in adults.