Standardized nailfold capillaroscopy in children with rheumatic diseases: a worldwide study.

OBJECTIVES: To standardly assess and describe nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) assessment in children and adolescents with juvenile rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (jRMD) vs healthy controls (HCs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In consecutive jRMD children and matched HCs from 13 centres worldwide, 16 NVC images per patient were acquired locally and read centrally per international consensus standard evaluation of the EULAR Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases. A total of 95 patients with JIA, 22 with JDM, 20 with childhood-onset SLE (cSLE), 13 with juvenile SSc (jSSc), 21 with localized scleroderma (lSc), 18 with MCTD and 20 with primary RP (PRP) were included. NVC differences between juvenile subgroups and HCs were calculated through multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 6474 images were assessed from 413 subjects (mean age 12.1 years, 70.9% female). The quantitative NVC characteristics were significantly lower or higher in the following subgroups compared with HCs: for density: lower in jSSc, JDM, MCTD, cSLE and lSc; for dilations: higher in jSSc, MCTD and JDM; for abnormal shapes: higher in JDM and MCTD; for haemorrhages: higher in jSSc, MCTD, JDM and cSLE. The qualitative NVC assessment of JIA, lSc and PRP did not differ from HCs, whereas the cSLE and jSSc, MCTD, JDM and cSLE subgroups showed more non-specific and scleroderma patterns, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis resulted from a pioneering registry of NVC in jRMD. The NVC assessment in jRMD differed significantly from HCs. Future prospective follow-up will further elucidate the role of NVC in jRMD.

Vasculitis inducida por cocaína-levamisol con manifestaciones cutáneas, articulares y abdominales: reporte de caso / Cocaine-levamisole induced vasculitis with cutaneous, joint and abdominal manifestations: case report

Resumen El levamisol es un antiparasitario de uso veterinario que actualmente es empleado para aumentar el volumen y la potencia de la cocaína. La mezcla de estas dos sustancias puede causar un cuadro caracterizado por lesiones propias de la cocaína, como la afección del cartílago septal con perforación del tabique nasal, y vasculitis cutánea de pequeños vasos con afectación de los pabellones auriculares y del cartílago nasal, afección conocida como vasculitis inducida por cocaína-levamisol (VICOL) que puede avanzar a necrosis e incluso ulceraciones cutáneas, asociadas a agranulocitosis, artralgias y glomerulonefritis . En el presente artículo se describe el caso de un paciente con historia de consumo de sustancias en quien se encontraron lesiones purpúricas palpables en miembros superiores, tronco, pabellones auriculares y miembros inferiores. Se consideró una clínica sugestiva de VICOL dado el antecedente de consumo de sustancias. En el proceso diagnóstico se descartaron entidades como la vasculitis por anticuerpos contra el citoplasma de los neutrófilos (ANCAs) y crioglobulinemia, entre otras posibles afecciones. Se llevó a cabo un tratamiento con esteroides y con ello presentó una respuesta adecuada, pero luego recurrieron los síntomas, particularmente abdominales, los cuales se consideraron asociados con vasculitis. Se le brindó manejo adicional con ciclofosfamida y nuevos pulsos de esteroides, con que se logró el control total de los síntomas. A través este caso se resaltan entonces los ejercicios diagnósticos y clínicos en la vasculitis cocaína- levamisol, y se sugiere la consideración de los síntomas abdominales como posible componente del cuadro vasculítico.

Abstract Levamisole is an antiparasitic agent for veterinary use. Currently it is used to increase the volume and potency of cocaine. Levamisole and cocaine combined result in the septum nasal perforation and small-vessel vasculitis in the ears and nasal cartilage. These findings are known as cocaine levamisole-induced vasculitis and can progress to necrosis and even skin ulceration, which is associated with agranulocytosis, arthralgia, and glomerulonephritis. This article describes the case of a patient with a history of substance abuse in whom palpable purpuric lesions were found in the upper and lower limbs, trunk, and ears. A clinical condition suggestive of vasculitis induced by cocaine-levamisole was considered, given the history of substance consumption. In the diagnostic process, entities such as Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodiy (ANCA) vasculitis and cryoglobulinemia, among other possible conditions, were ruled out. Steroid treatment was carried out, to which the patient had an adequate response, but then symptoms recurred, particularly abdominal, which were associated with vasculitis. Additional management with cyclophosphamide and new steroid pulses were provided, and with those symptom control was achieved. In this case report highlights the diagnostic and clinical exercises in cocaine levamisole vasculitis and is suggested the consideration of abdominal symptoms as a possible component of the vasculitis flare.

Concordance and correlation of activity indices in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in northwestern Colombia: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To determine the correlation and concordance between different clinimetric scores in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in two high-complexity reference centers in northwestern Colombia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study in adults diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis was conducted according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism Classification Criteria, between January and June, 2013. The correlation was evaluated using Spearman's correlation coefficient, and concordance with quadratic weighted kappa with the respective confidence intervals, for which patients were classified into different categories of disease activity. RESULTS: One hundred patients were included, of whom 83% were women; 58 and 75% received methotrexate and glucocorticoids, respectively. Most individuals were in remission or low activity. High correlations between Disease Activity Score of 28 joints - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) values with DAS28 C-reactive protein and Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI) with Clinical Disease Activity Index (P < 0.0001; r = 0.82 and r = 0.86, respectively) were observed; likewise, the scores obtained with different indices correlated well with gold standard values for remission (SDAI), where the correlation with DAS28-ESR was slightly lower. Excellent concordance among all clinimetric scores was observed, although it was lower among DAS28-ESR and SDAI. CONCLUSION: Clinimetric indices had high concordance and correlation, especially for rheumatoid arthritis patients in remission or low disease activity, without being interchangeable among them.

Características clínicas, factores de riesgo y perfil de susceptibilidad de las infecciones por micobacterias documentadas por cultivo, en un hospital universitario de alta complejidad en Medellín (Colombia) / Clinical features, risk factors and susceptibility profile of mycobacterial infections documented by culture in a university hospital of high complexity in Medellin (Colombia)

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an entity of high prevalence and mortality worldwide. The rising drug resistance is a public health problem. Besides, non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) infections are described with increasing frequency in areas of high prevalence of TB. Objectives: To determine epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics of mycobacterial infections documented by culture. Materials and Methods: An observational, descriptive study in hospitalized patients. Results: M. tuberculosis complex was identified in 90,9% of 187 patients; 9,1% had NTM, 64% were male and the mean age was 40 years (range 1-88 years). The main co-morbidities were HIV / AIDS (23.5%), use of corticosteroids (13.3%) and chronic kidney disease (9.6%). Clinical forms were pulmonary (56.6%), extra-pulmonary (23.9%) and disseminated (19.2 The most common extra-pulmonary compromise was nodal (7.4%) and gastrointestinal (7%). 10.6% of M. tuberculosis were multi-drugresistant (MDR) and 2.12% had extended drug resistance (XDR). Mycobacterium avium andM. abscessus were the most frequent NTM. Overall mortality was 10%. Conclusions: In our study immune suppression is the main risk factor for extrapulmonary and disseminated disease. Resistance, MDR and XDR is higher in inpatients with TB. MNT infections are not uncommon in our country.

Introducción: Tuberculosis (TBC) es aún una entidad de alta prevalencia y mortalidad en el mundo. La resistencia ascendente a fármacos es un problema de salud pública. Además se describen con mayor frecuencia infecciones por micobacterias no tuberculosas (MNT) en áreas de alta prevalencia de TBC. Objetivos: Determinar características epidemiológicas, clínicas y microbiológicas de las infecciones por micobacterias documentadas por cultivo. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, en pacientes hospitalizados. Resultados: De 187 pacientes, en 90,9% se identificó complejo M. tuberculosis y en 9,1% MNT; 64% fueron hombres. Edad promedio 40 años (rango 1-88 años). Las principales co-morbilidades fueron infección por VIH/SIDA (23,5%), uso de corticoesteroides (13,3%) y enfermedad renal crónica (9,6%). Las formas clínicas fueron pulmonares (56,6%), extra-pulmonares (23,9%) y diseminadas (19,2%). El compromiso extra-pulmonar más frecuente fue ganglionar (7,4%) y gastrointestinal (7%). En M. tuberculosis 10,6% fueron multidrogoresistentes (MDR) y 2,12% con resistencia extendida (XDR). Mycobacterium avium y M. abscessus fueron las MNT más frecuentes. La mortalidad general fue 10%. Conclusiones: Inmuno-supresión es el principal factor de riesgo para enfermedad extrapulmonar y/o diseminada y la resistencia a fármacos en pacientes hospitalizados con TBC es llamativa, con mayor incidencia de MDR y XDR. Las infecciones por MNT no son infrecuentes en nuestro medio.

[Clinical features, risk factors and susceptibility profile of mycobacterial infections documented by culture in a university hospital of high complexity in Medellin (Colombia)]. / Características clínicas, factores de riesgo y perfil de susceptibilidad de las infecciones por micobacterias documentadas por cultivo, en un hospital universitario de alta complejidad en Medellín (Colombia).

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an entity of high prevalence and mortality worldwide. The rising drug resistance is a public health problem. Besides, non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) infections are described with increasing frequency in areas of high prevalence of TB. OBJECTIVES: To determine epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics of mycobacterial infections documented by culture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, descriptive study in hospitalized patients. RESULTS: M. tuberculosis complex was identified in 90,9% of 187 patients; 9,1% had NTM, 64% were male and the mean age was 40 years (range 1-88 years). The main co-morbidities were HIV / AIDS (23.5%), use of corticosteroids (13.3%) and chronic kidney disease (9.6%). Clinical forms were pulmonary (56.6%), extra-pulmonary (23.9%) and disseminated (19.2 The most common extra-pulmonary compromise was nodal (7.4%) and gastrointestinal (7%). 10.6% of M. tuberculosis were multi-drug resistant (MDR) and 2.12% had extended drug resistance (XDR). Mycobacterium avium andM. abscessus were the most frequent NTM. Overall mortality was 10%. CONCLUSIONS: In our study immune suppression is the main risk factor for extrapulmonary and disseminated disease. Resistance, MDR and XDR is higher in inpatients with TB. MNT infections are not uncommon in our country.