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To investigate the predictive value of [ 18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission computed tomography(PET)/CT for disease progression in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Sixty-seven DM patients who underwent [ 18F] FDG-PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed from January 2012 to September 2017 at PLA General Hospital. Their clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics were recorded. Compared with those chronically progressed (C-ILD), patients with rapid progression (RP-ILD) had significantly higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and standardized uptake value (SUV) in lungs ( P<0.05). In patients with RP-ILD, SUV in lungs was positively correlated with age, disease course, and ESR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that when lung SUV cut off value was 2.25, the sensitivity and specificity to predict disease progression was 77.8% and 72.8%, respectively. Old age, longer disease course, low creatine kinase level, higher ESR, and high SUV are prognostic factors for DM-associated ILD.
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A 28-year-old man was admitted to the first medical center of Chinese People′s Liberation Army General Hospital because of multiple myalgia and intramuscular nodules for more than 2 months. The patient complained of dysphagia, fever and weight loss 2 months ago. Magnetic resonance imaging and biopsy revealed nodular fasciitis. Inflammatory indicators including C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, platelet count and fibrinogen were slightly elevated. Urine occult blood was positive. Abdominal ultrasound revealed left hydronephrosis. Because nodular fasciitis could not explain the whole situation, a needle biopsy of intramuscular nodules was performed. Pathological examination revealed intramuscular metastatic adenocarcinoma with poor differentiation. Gastric endoscope and positron emission tomography-computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma with extensive metastases of esophagus, lymph nodes, muscles, ureter and bone. Although chemotherapy was given, the patient died of disease progression six months later.
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Base on the clinical characteristics of septic arthritis in a group of systemic lupus erythematosus patients,this study has found out that high systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index,leucopenia,high cumulative dose of glucocorticoid,methylprednisolone intravenous pulse therapy and joint cavity puncture were closely correlated with septic arthritis.Once septic arthritis is suspected,culture specimens should be collected and appropriate antibiotics are suggested immediately.Also,surgical drainage is a very useful approach.
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Objective To study the clinical and imaging characteristics of patients with infectious sacroiliac arthritis.Method Twenty-one patients diagnosed with infectious sacroiliac arthritis were analyzed retrospectively between 2000 and 2014.The chief complaint was pain in hip and lumbosacral area.Their clinical features,laboratory tests and pathological examination results as well as CT/MRI/PET-CT images were evaluated.Results There were nine males and thirteen females eighteen (85.7％) patients had unilateral sacroiliac joint involvement.Among these patients,three were diagnosed with brucellosis sacroiliac arthritis(BSI),eight patients with tuberculosis sacroiliac arthritis (TSI),and ten patients with non-brucellosis and non-tuberculosis infectious sacroiliac arthritis (ISI).For those patients with non-brucellosis and non-tuberculosis infectious sacroiliac arthritis,white blood cell count,erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP)were dramatically increased.Twelve patients were diagnosed pathologically including 6 ISI,2 BSI and 4 TSI.Twelve patients and seventeen patients were scanned by CT and MRI respectively.Two patients undertook PET-CT examination.Antibiotic therapy showed significant therapeutic effects in all patients.Conclusion Infectious sacroiliac arthritis patients with hip or lumbosacral pain as the chief complaint can be easily misdiagnosed as spondyloarthritis.Comprehensive analysis of clinical features,imaging and laboratory findings is essential for accurate diagnosis.
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Objective To study the imaging features of sacroiliac joints(SIJ) in patients who were misdiagnosed as spondyloarthritis(SpA).Methods A total of 34 patients with chief complaint of back pain and misdiagnosed as SpA from January 2007 to April 2013 in Department of Rheumatology Chinese PLA General Hospital were enrolled.The imaging,clinical manifestations,laboratory examinations data were analyzed.Result The main reason for misdiagnosis as SpA was because of sacroiliitis presenting on imaging.The final diagnoses included 24 patients as SIJ infection,4 patients as neoplastic diseases,2 patients as metabolic bone diseases,2 patients as sacroiliac joint degeneration,1 patient as gout of sacroiliac joint,1 patient as diffuse idiopathic bone hypertrophy.For patients with infection,there were 10 patients receiving X-ray and 22 patients receiving CT of SIJ.However,5 and 7 patients had negative results respectively.These patients with infection had abnormalities in MRI including all with bone marrow edema,21 patients with erosion of bone and joint,22 patients with muscle involved.As to the patients with malignancies,SIJ CT scan appeared normal.Bone marrow edema and erosion in MRI were found in all neoplasm patients expect one as ependymoma.Adjacent muscles were involved in the patient with Ewing's sarcoma.Either X-ray or CT in other patients demonstrated obvious abnormalities,but only mild erosion of bone was found in MRI.Conclusion Bone marrow edema of SIJ in MRI represented not only in patients with SpA.Rheumatologists should analyze the clinical manifestations and laboratory examinations comprehensively in order to avoid the misdiagnoses.
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Objective To investigate the epidemiological features of back pain, spondyloarthritis (SPA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Beijing Shougang district. Methods Set up Chinese version of questionnaire about incidence of spondyloarthro-pathy. Employees and retired ones were drawn out from subfactory units by non-randomized sampling. 15 357 subjects were investigated, of which 12 125 questionnaires were taken. Suspected cases were then screened with sacroiliac joint X ray and HLA-B27 testing. 2009 assessment in ankylosing spondylitis (ASAS) criteria were used for diagnosing SpA. Results Back pain is common with total incidence of 42.7%, and the most common pattern is mechanical pain. The incidence of SpA is 0.58% and that of AS is 0.36%, while only 28.9% AS patients had been diagnosed before and received treatment. Conclusion The AS incidence in Shougang district is similar with the epidemiological data got from other districts of China. And knowledge of SpA and AS is needed in China.
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Aim To investigate the effects of T-and L-type calcium channel blockers on isolated thoracic aorta from thyroxine-induced hypertensive rats.Methods Hyperthyroidism was induced by administering L-thyroxine (T4,0.5 mg·kg~(-1),sc) daily for 16 days.Sham-treated euthyroid control rats were only received vehicle saline for 16 days. Experiments were performed in isolated thoracic aorta rings from euthyroid and hyperthyroid rats. Mibefradil and diltiazem were used to inhibit T-and L-type calcium channels,respectively.Results Thyroid hormone excess for 16 days induced characteristic changes in body weight,heart rate and systolic blood pressure in rats. The body weight was significantly decreased,heart rate and systolic blood pressure were increased in T4-treated rats. Thoracic aorta morphology was altered in T4-treated rats. The thickness of adventitia was increased with hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the smooth musle cells in T4-treated rats. Vasorelaxant effect of T-and L-type calcium channel blockers were accentuated in aortic rings from T4-treated rats.Conclusion These data suggest that T-and L-type calcium channels are functionally upregulated in isolated thoracic aorta from hyperthyroid rats and they,may be a therapeutic target in thyroxine-induced hypertension.