(C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Semin Arthritis Rheum 39:504-509″
“Objectives: To report a patient with aortic regurgitation (AR) and aortitis, who failed to respond to multiple attempts at surgical replacement of the affected valve and adjacent aorta, and in whom a late diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (SpA) was made. The relevant literature on the association of SpA and aortitis is reviewed.
Methods: Descriptive case report of a patient with AR secondary to aortic dilation and aortitis with a late diagnosis of SpA, and a review of the relevant literature (PubMed search 1956 through April 2008).
Results: A 36-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for replacement of
his aortic valve and aortic valve root as a result of AR after a dehiscence of a mechanical prosthetic valve and subsequent aortic pseudoaneurysm. His past GSK2126458 medical history included 2 prior aortic valve replacements that failed due to late postoperative Src inhibitor dehiscence. Histological findings from the aortic wall after the third operation showed signs of aortitis. A rheumatologic workup revealed a 6-year
history of mild low back pain, radiological evidence of bilateral sacroiliitis, and presence of HLA-B27. A diagnosis of SpA, most likely ankylosing spondylitis (AS), was made. On reviewing the literature, AR has been diagnosed in 2 to 12% of the patients with AS, most of whom had long-lasting disease. There have been several reports of uncommon presentations of acute AR in young patients with juvenile AS; however, no similar adult case was found.
Conclusion: This unusual case emphasizes the importance of early and adequate workup for SpA in young patients with lone AR or aortic dilation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Semin Arthritis Rheum 39:510-514″
“Objective: Kikuchi Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare, benign disorder, usually characterized by cervical lymphadenopathy. Most available data on KFD has come from the Far East. We examined the characteristics of
KFD in Israel.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of the records of all patients diagnosed as KFD in seven medical GSK2126458 molecular weight centers in Israel and all the cases previously reported as having occurred in Israel in the literature.
Results: Nineteen patients were included, 13 new cases and six from the literature. Mean age of patients was 23 (range 9-50) years. Female/male ratio was 1.1:1. Cervical lymphadenopathy, the hallmark of KFD in the Far East (97%), was less frequent in Israel (44%). However, Israeli patients presented more often with generalized (26%) or retroperitoneal (21%) lymphadenopathy (P < 0.01). Systemic signs such as fever (73%), night sweats (21%), weight loss (21%), hepatomegaly or splenomegaly (25%), and elevated sedimentation rate (52%) were more common in Israeli patients compared to most reports from other parts of the world, excluding Germany (P < 0.05).