Association of mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmune hepatitis: report of a case.
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A 51-year-old female was admitted to the hospital due to liver dysfunction. She had suffered from arthralgia, Raynaud's phenomenon, dry mouth and dry eyes. Laboratory data showed positive LE cells and anti-RNP. The diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) was made according to the criteria of the international symposium on MCTD and Antinuclear Antibodies (August 1986, Tokyo). Liver biopsy showed chronic active hepatitis. The results of sialography, lip biopsy and rose-bengal test were compatible with Sjogren's syndrome (SjS). This is the report of a rare case with MCTD associated with SjS and autoimmune hepatitis. (+info)
Anti-Ku autoantibodies: series of 5 cases.
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Autoantibodies directed against nuclear protein Ku are infrequently detected. If present, they are found in high titers in patients with connective tissue overlap syndromes. This article describes 5 patients with anti-Ku antibodies in whom systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, idiopathic lung fibrosis or scleroderma - polymyositis overlap syndrome were diagnosed. Interestingly, signs and symptoms of transient cranial neuropathy involving trigeminal and facial nerves were reported by 3 patients. Cranial nerve neuropathy has not been described in patients with anti-Ku autoantibodies previously. (+info)
Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular disease: analysis of CT features to distinguish the various types.
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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the CT findings of interstitial lung diseases that are associated with collagen vascular disease (CVD), with particular attention to nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), and to examine whether it is possible to predict the clinical diagnosis of CVDs based on the CT findings alone. METHODS: CT scans of 49 patients with NSIP associated with CVD (15 males, 34 females; mean age, 55+/-10 years; age range, 25-76 years) were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent a surgical biopsy. The clinical diagnosis comprised rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n=15), systemic sclerosis (SSc) (n=8), polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PM/DM) (n=18), Sjogren's syndrome (SjS) (n=4), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) (n=4). Each CT was reviewed by two independent observers who made a clinical diagnosis based on the CT findings alone. RESULTS: The observers made a correct diagnosis for 22 (45%) of the 49 patients. A correct diagnosis was made for: RA in 7 (47%) of 15 patients; SSc in 3 (38%) of 8 patients; PM/DM in 11 (61%) of 18 patients; SjS in 1 (25%) of 4 patients. None of the 4 MCTD cases was diagnosed. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to make a correct clinical diagnosis of the various types of CVDs based solely on CT findings. However, it is probable to make a reasonably accurate clinical diagnosis in cases that show the typical CT findings, especially for PM/DM patients. (+info)
Are tyrosine kinase inhibitors promising for the treatment of systemic sclerosis and other fibrotic diseases?
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Characterization of connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension from REVEAL: identifying systemic sclerosis as a unique phenotype.
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