The Prevalence of Inflammatory Joint Diseases among Males Attending Rheumatology Clinic in a Tertiary Care Centre

Rheumatic diseases are one of the commonest disorders preventing mobility and ease of motion in a larger part of population. 1 Epidemiology of rheumatic disorders has been known to play an important role in understanding as well as preventing the rheumatic diseases in a particular human population. Therefore, the current study was designed to assess the prevalence of different types of rheumatic disorders and their distribution among different age group of male patients. Methods: The present study included eight hundred and ten male patients of all ages who were taken from two thousand patients suffering from rheumatic disorders registered at the rheumatology clinic of Govt Medical College, Thrissur. A questionnaire was given to each and every patient for the differential diagnosis of various rheumatic disorders. Criteria of the American College of Rheumatology was used to establish the diagnosis of each rheumatic disease. Results: Results of the present study revealed that rheumatoid arthritis (23.73%) was the most common type followed by Psoriatic arthritis (23.36%) which was the second most prevalent type among rheumatic diseases in the study population. Further, results showed that Osteoarthritis (15.08%) and Ankylosing spondylitis (19.78%) were between 10 to 20% prevalent among study population.In the age group of 20-59 years psoriatic arthritis was the most common inflammatory joint disease followed by ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.Such a trend was not seen in age group less than 20 years and more than 60years. Conclusion: Findings of the current study suggest that four types of rheumatic diseases namely rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis were highly prevalent among the study population .In the male population of age group 20-59years psoriatic arthritis was the most common inflammatory joint disease.Thus a vigorous search for psoriatic arthritis is highly warranted in male patients of the age group 20-60years who are presenting with features of inflammatory joint disease.

Invasive aspergillosis producing painful ophthalmoplegia.

Painful ophthalmoplegia is caused by the lesions of orbital apex and anterior cavernous sinus. Cavernous sinus syndrome can be produced by intracranial invasive aspergillosis. A case of painful ophthalmoplegia due to invasive aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus niger in a diabetic patient is presented.