Journal of internal medicine
-
Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic inflammatory condition, which presents with symptoms of dryness, pain, fatigue and often symptoms of anxiety and depression. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is significantly reduced in pSS and the direct and indirect health costs of pSS are substantial. This study aims to determine how symptom burden, disease activity and demographics associate with HRQoL longitudinally over a median of 24-month follow-up period in pSS. ⋯ In pSS, symptom burden and to a great extent NSST subgroup, rather than systemic disease activity, has a significant relationship with HRQoL longitudinally. Improvements in symptom burden have the potential to produce significant impacts on long-term HRQoL in pSS.
-
Inflammation of unknown origin (IUO) is a challenging situation in internal medicine. ⋯ Within the wide spectrum of IUO underlying diseases, 18 F-FDG-PET/CT is helpful to make a diagnosis and to eliminate inflammatory diseases. Obese patients constitute a specific group needing further studies.