Tumor-like Presentation of Cerebral Vasculitis in a Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Biopsy-confirmed Case

Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are diverse and often difficult to distinguish from SLE-unrelated events. CNS vasculitis is a rare manifestation, which is seen in less than 10% of post-mortem studies, and lesions with multifocal cerebral cortical microinfarcts associated with small-vessel vasculitis are the predominant feature. However, CNS vasculitis presenting as a tumor-like mass lesion in SLE has rarely been reported. Herein, we report a case of cerebral vasculitis mimicking a brain tumor in a 39-year-old female with SLE. A biopsy of the brain mass revealed fibrinoid necrosis and leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The neurological deficits and systemic symptoms improved after treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of biopsy-proven cerebral vasculitis presenting as a brain mass in patients with SLE in Korea.

KOBIO, the First Web-based Korean Biologics Registry Operated With a Unified Platform Among Distinct Disease Entities

The KOrean College of Rheumatology BIOlogics and targeted therapy (KOBIO) registry is a nationwide observational cohort that captures detailed data on exposure of patients to biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This registry was launched in December 2012 with an aim to prospectively investigate clinical manifestations and outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis who initiated a biologic or targeted synthetic DMARD or switched to another. Demographic data, disease activity, current treatment, adverse events, terms based on Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities, and so on are registered for patients who are then followed up annually in a web-based unified platform. The KOBIO registry also recruits and collects data of patients with RA on conventional DMARDs for comparison. As of today, more than 5,500 patients were enrolled from 47 academic and community Rheumatology centers across Korea. The KOBIO registry has evolved to become a powerful database for clinical research to improve clinical outcomes and quality of treatment.

KOBIO, the First Web-based Korean Biologics Registry Operated With a Unified Platform Among Distinct Disease Entities

The KOrean College of Rheumatology BIOlogics and targeted therapy (KOBIO) registry is a nationwide observational cohort that captures detailed data on exposure of patients to biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This registry was launched in December 2012 with an aim to prospectively investigate clinical manifestations and outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis who initiated a biologic or targeted synthetic DMARD or switched to another. Demographic data, disease activity, current treatment, adverse events, terms based on Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities, and so on are registered for patients who are then followed up annually in a web-based unified platform. The KOBIO registry also recruits and collects data of patients with RA on conventional DMARDs for comparison. As of today, more than 5,500 patients were enrolled from 47 academic and community Rheumatology centers across Korea. The KOBIO registry has evolved to become a powerful database for clinical research to improve clinical outcomes and quality of treatment.

Bilateral Involvement of Juvenile Temporal Arteritis Associated with Kimura Disease

Juvenile temporal arteritis (JTA) is a localized nodular arteritis confined to the temporal artery without evidence of systemic inflammation, and it occurs mainly in patients younger than 50 years. From the first case report, the pathological features of JTA have been suspected to be the morphological equivalent of Kimura disease (KD), which has been supported further by the concurrent cases of JTA with KD. We present the first case of bilateral JTA accompanying KD, which was confirmed by histological and ultrasound evaluations and supports the hypothesis that JTA is a manifestation of KD. The un-excised JTA lesion was resolved completely after corticosteroid therapy with no recurrence.

Case of Renal Microaneurysms and Multiple Renal Infarctions in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory, heterogeneous autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production and the potential involvement of almost every organ system. Although vasculitis usually confined to small vessels is a fairly common feature of SLE, ischemic vasculitis with an aneurysm is an uncommon feature. In particular, renal arterial microaneurysms and multiple renal infarctions are very rarely reported in patients with SLE. Furthermore, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no report on renal arterial microaneurysms associated with SLE in Korea. Here, this paper presents a case of renal microaneurysms and multiple renal infarctions in a 41-year-old woman with SLE.

Focal Eosinophilic Myositis Associated with Behçet's Disease

Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis commonly accompanied by recurrent mucosal ulceration and other systemic manifestations, but rarely by myositis. Focal eosinophilic myositis is the most limited idiopathic eosinophilic myopathy characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia and/or eosinophilic muscle infiltration. Clinical manifestations include myalgia, muscle weakness, and cutaneous lesions, such as subcutaneous induration and erythema. Given that BD can mimic deep vein thrombosis or pseudotumor, muscle biopsy should be performed to enhance the accuracy of diagnosis. Microscopic examination reveals extensive infiltration of eosinophils and mononuclear cells into muscle, myofiber necrosis, and regeneration. To the best of our knowledge, there have not been any published reports on MEDLINE regarding focal eosinophilic myositis associated with BD. Here, we presented a case of focal eosinophilic myositis associated with intestinal BD in a 23-year-old man who suffered from a large ulcer in the terminal ileum.

Biopsy-Proven Dermatomyositis with Normal Creatine Kinase / 대한내과학회지

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) characterized by skeletal muscle inflammation and typical skin manifestations. Creatine kinase (CK) has traditionally been considered to be the most useful serum enzyme for the diagnosis and assessment of adult patients with IIM. To our knowledge, there has been no reported case of biopsy-proven DM without CK elevation in Korea, to date. Panniculitis is an uncommon cutaneous manifestation in adult patients with DM. A search of the PubMed database reveals fewer than 30 reported cases of panniculitis in adult patients with DM. Here, we report a case of a 42-year-old female who was diagnosed with biopsy-proven DM with normal serum CK levels and panniculitis.

A Case of IgG4-Related Disease with Pachymeningitis and Periaortitis / 대한내과학회지

Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease (RD) is an immune-mediated, systemic fibroinflammatory condition characterized by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells, storiform fibrosis, and obliterative phlebitis. IgG4-RD has become recognized with increasing frequency since the turn of the century and may affect almost any organ. IgG4-RD also involves the meninges but, to the best of our knowledge, no case of IgG4-related intracranial pachymeningitis with periaortitis has been reported in Korea to date. Here, we report on a 65 year-old male with IgG4-RD involving the meninges and aorta.

A Case of Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis with Sjögren's Syndrome Presenting as Hypokalemic Paralysis / 계명의대학술지

Distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) caused by autoimmune nephritis occurs in up to 25% of patients with Sjögren's syndrome. However, patients with hypokalemic paralysis are sometimes overlooked, because most symptoms of autoimmune nephritis in Sjögren's syndrome are mild. We present a case of hypokalemic paralysis in a 54-year-old female who also had dry eyes and mouth, and Raynaud's phenomenon. Further evaluation, including autoantibody tests, revealed distal RTA with Sjögren's syndrome as the cause of hypokalemia. Distal RTA diagnosis was made based on normal anion gap hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, alkaline urine with positive urine anion gap, high transtubular potassium concentration gradient (TTKG), positive anti-La antibody, and symptoms of sicca complex. The patient's symptoms resolved following treatment with intravenous and oral potassium, immunosuppressants, and steroids. This case illustrates that distal RTA and Sjögren's syndrome should be considered in cases of hypokalemic paralysis.

Complex repetitive discharge on electromyography as a risk factor for malignancy in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the electromyography (EMG) findings and demographic, clinical, and laboratory features that may predict the development of malignancy in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). METHODS: In total, 61 patients, 36 with dermatomyositis and 25 with polymyositis, were included. Patients were divided into those with and without malignancies, and comparisons were made between the groups in terms of their demographic, clinical, laboratory, and EMG findings. RESULTS: The frequencies of malignancies associated with dermatomyositis and polymyositis were 22% and 8%, respectively. Patients with malignancies showed a significantly higher incidence of dysphagia (odds ratio [OR], 21.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.84 to 120.49), absence of interstitial lung disease (ILD; OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.98), and complex repetitive discharge (CRD) on the EMG (OR, 26.25; 95% CI, 2.67 to 258.52), versus those without. After adjustment for age, dysphagia and CRD remained significant, while ILD showed a trend for a difference but was not statistically significant. Multivariate analysis revealed that the CRD conferred an OR of 25.99 (95% CI, 1.27 to 531.86) for malignancy. When the frequency of malignancy was analyzed according to the number of risk factors, patients with three risk factors showed a significantly higher incidence of malignancy, versus those with fewer than two (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated for the first time that CRD on the EMG was an additional independent risk factor for malignancy in IIM. Further studies on a larger scale are needed to confirm the importance of CRD as a risk factor for malignancy in IIM.

A Case of Prostate Cancer Associated with Dermatomyositis and Interstitial Lung Disease / 대한내과학회지

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a kind of systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation leading to progressive weakness of proximal muscles and typical cutaneous lesions. DM has been known to be strongly associated with malignancies, such as ovarian, lung, and gastric cancers. Prostate cancer is rarely associated with DM and, to our knowledge, no case of prostate cancer has been reported in patients with DM combined with interstitial lung disease in Korea. Here, we report a case of DM with bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia that was simultaneously diagnosed as advanced prostate cancer by a thorough evaluation for hidden malignancy.

Hypercalcemia Refractory to Pamidronate Associated with Metastatic Calcifications in Multiple Organs / 대한내과학회지

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a disorder featuring high-level bone turnover associated with the presence of disorganized and immature bone tissue with excessive levels of fibrosis. The risk of deformity is very high. The etiology of PDB is not well understood, but includes both genetic and environmental factors among which is bone trauma. Hypercalcemia can occur as a complication of PDB in patients who are immobilized and dehydrated. However, to date, no case of severe hypercalcemia with metastatic calcifications in multiple organs has been reported in any PDB patient. The drugs of choice for treatment of PDB are bisphosphonates. These drugs effectively suppress bone turnover. Patients with extensive PDB may require higher doses of bisphosphonates, and acquired resistance to a particular bisphosphonate may be overcome by use an alternative drug. Here, we report a case of suspicion of PDB. The patient presented with hypercalcemia and metastatic calcifications and his condition improved dramatically after treatment with zoledronic acid.

Hypercalcemia Refractory to Pamidronate Associated with Metastatic Calcifications in Multiple Organs / 대한내과학회지

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a disorder featuring high-level bone turnover associated with the presence of disorganized and immature bone tissue with excessive levels of fibrosis. The risk of deformity is very high. The etiology of PDB is not well understood, but includes both genetic and environmental factors among which is bone trauma. Hypercalcemia can occur as a complication of PDB in patients who are immobilized and dehydrated. However, to date, no case of severe hypercalcemia with metastatic calcifications in multiple organs has been reported in any PDB patient. The drugs of choice for treatment of PDB are bisphosphonates. These drugs effectively suppress bone turnover. Patients with extensive PDB may require higher doses of bisphosphonates, and acquired resistance to a particular bisphosphonate may be overcome by use an alternative drug. Here, we report a case of suspicion of PDB. The patient presented with hypercalcemia and metastatic calcifications and his condition improved dramatically after treatment with zoledronic acid.

A Case of May-Thurner Syndrome with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Antiphospholipid Syndrome / 대한내과학회지

May-Thurner syndrome, which refers to an iliofemoral venous thrombosis caused by chronic compression of the left common iliac vein by the right common iliac artery, usually manifests as left lower extremity pain and swelling. The syndrome is particularly evident in patients with health conditions including obesity, smoking, pregnancy, surgery, or prolonged immobility. Antiphospholipid syndrome consists of arterial or venous thrombosis and the association of lupus anticoagulant or anticardiolipin antibodies. Most common clinical manifestations include pregnancy loss and deep vein thrombosis. We experienced a rare case of May-Thurner syndrome concurrent with antiphospholipid syndrome, secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient was treated successfully by catheter-directed percutaneous thrombectomy, venous thrombolysis, and stent insertion, followed by oral anticoagulant therapy.

A Case of May-Thurner Syndrome with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Antiphospholipid Syndrome / 대한내과학회지

May-Thurner syndrome, which refers to an iliofemoral venous thrombosis caused by chronic compression of the left common iliac vein by the right common iliac artery, usually manifests as left lower extremity pain and swelling. The syndrome is particularly evident in patients with health conditions including obesity, smoking, pregnancy, surgery, or prolonged immobility. Antiphospholipid syndrome consists of arterial or venous thrombosis and the association of lupus anticoagulant or anticardiolipin antibodies. Most common clinical manifestations include pregnancy loss and deep vein thrombosis. We experienced a rare case of May-Thurner syndrome concurrent with antiphospholipid syndrome, secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient was treated successfully by catheter-directed percutaneous thrombectomy, venous thrombolysis, and stent insertion, followed by oral anticoagulant therapy.

Identification of Independent Predictive Factors for Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Based on KARRA Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to investigate independent predictive factors for subclinical atherosclerosis in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We used high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography to measure the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaque in 367 patients with RA. Detailed information on the demographic characteristics, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and RA disease characteristics were collected on all subjects. The relationship of the carotid artery IMT and carotid plaque to relevant clinical and laboratory variables were examined. RESULTS: Old age and male sex had the most significant association with increased IMT and presence of plaque than other factors. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and mKHAQ (Korean version of modified health assessment questionnaire) were significantly associated with both increased IMT and presence of plaque after univariate analysis adjusting for age and sex. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that ESR and TJC68 were independent factors associated with the presence of plaque (p<0.001 and p=0.019, respectively). There was a significant linear correlation between the number of plaques and ESR (p<0.001 and R2=0.07). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that markers of systemic inflammation contributed significantly to subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA. We emphasize the need for aggressive control of RA disease activity in patients who persistently demonstrate highly elevated ESR levels.

Therapeutic Effect of a Recombinant betaig-h3 Fragment-RGD Peptide for Chronic Inflammatory Arthritis

OBJECTIVE: betaig-h3 is a 68kDa extracellular matrix protein which is overexpressed in synovial tissues of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previous results proved that betaig-h3 fragments are relevant to adhesion and migration of synovial fibroblast and angiogenesis through interaction with alphavbeta 3 integrin. We designed a recombinant betaig-h3 protein consisting of a fas-1 domain and RGD motif and evaluated the therapeutic efficacy in RA. METHODS: Inhibitory effect of adhesion and migration of NIH3T3 cell line was evaluated in 96 well microtiter and transwell plates coated with betaig-h3. Clinical arthritis index was evaluated after treating CIA mice with MFK12. Immunohistochemical staining in synovial tissues were performed. Expression of transcripts and proteins of inflammatory mediators were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting. RESULTS: Recombinant protein consisted of 4th fas-1 domain truncated for H1 and H2 sequences and RGD peptide (MFK12), had M.W. of 10.4kDa. betaig-h3 mediated adhesion and migration of NIH3T3 cell line were significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Arthritis severity and incidence were efficiently reduced when CIA mice were treated with MFK12 at 30 mg/kg/day compared with the control. Immunohistochemical staining of joint tissues in MFK12 treated mice exhibited reduced angiogenesis. In treated mice, expression of transcripts regarding inflammatory mediators was markedly suppressed and immunoblotting of ICAM-1 and RANKL from whole extract of hind paws also showed a significant reduction. CONCLUSION: This study shows that MFK12 is effective in treating RA, although further study is warranted to improve the therapeutic efficacy.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Preceded by Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis / 대한내과학회지

Distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is characterized by a decreased net H+ secretion in the collecting tubules, which results in a failure of urine acidification and results in metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia, and nephrocalcinosis. The acquired form of distal RTA is associated with tubulointerstitial involvement of immune-mediated disorders such as Sjogren's syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Only a few case reports have indicated that distal RTA precedes SLE by months to years. We present a 39-year-old woman who had manifestations of distal RTA for 21 years before the development of overt symptoms of SLE.

Aseptic Endocarditis in Behcet's Disease Presenting as Tricuspid Valve Stenosis

Aseptic endocarditis is an uncommon complication of Behcet's disease (BD). We describe a rare case of a 39-year-old female who had BD with aseptic endocarditis of the tricuspid valve (TV) presenting as tricuspid stenosis. She was diagnosed with BD four years ago. The mucocutaneous lesions were well-controlled with colchicine and short courses of corticosteroids. She remained free of signs and symptoms of BD for one year without any medication. Three months before admission, she gradually developed dyspnea on exertion and peripheral edema. Echocardiography revealed dilated right atrium and markedly thickened TV with severe stenosis. TV replacement was performed. Pathologic examination of the valve showed fibrinoid necrotic material and inflammatory cell infiltration. Blood cultures and cultures of the excised valve were negative for microorganisms.

Reversible Sensorineural Hearing Loss due to Pachymeningitis Associated with Elevated Serum MPO-ANCA

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a progressive disease resulting in a diffuse thickening of dura mater due to inflammation, tumor or autoimmune diseases, but most cases are idiopathic. It is seldom reported to be related to sensorineural hearing loss, but it can cause sensorineural hearing loss which can be potentially reversed through treatment. Here, we report the case of a 54-year-old woman who had progressive, bilateral, worse in the left, sensorineural hearing loss and visual disturbance with an accompanying headache over several months. Brain MRI showed diffusely thickened dura mater, highly enhanced after gadolinium administration, which was consistent with pachymeningitis. It was assumed to be related to autoimmune pathogenesis on the basis of elevated serum myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) titers. After empirical steroid and cyclophosphamide therapy, auditory impairment improved, especially in the high frequency region of the pure tone audiogram, and significant improvement in the word recognition test. Moreover, a follow-up MRI revealed much decreased enhancement of the dura mater, and the MPO-ANCA titer decreased to within the normal range. In the case of rapidly progressive sensorineural hearing loss or hearing impairment accompanying other cranial neuropathy, pachymeningitis should be taken into consideration, and brain MRI with gadolinium enhancement is the best method of detecting it. Also, to ensure proper treatment, a cautious evaluation including an ANCA work-up should be performed.