Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases
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Editorial Comment
Osteoporosis treatment after hip fracture: slow progress.
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Older individuals with hip fractures almost always have osteoporosis. Such individuals are at increased risk of experiencing other osteoporotic fractures, including recurrent hip fractures. The management of such patients should include assessing bone mineral density and treating osteoporosis. ⋯ Older adults with hip fractures are not adequately treated for osteoporosis. This places them at increased risk of other osteoporotic fractures, including recurrent hip fractures.
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: Sjögren's syndrome is characterized by the presence of xerostomia and/or xerophthalmia. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, has been proven to be efficacious in treating radiation-induced xerostomia (up to 30 mg/day) and symptoms of dry mouth in Sjögren's patients (up to 20 mg/day). ⋯ : Significant relief in dry mouth symptoms was noted at 20 mg/day, and significant relief in ocular symptoms, including lower artificial tear requirement, was noted after the dose was increased to 30 mg/day.
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There have been reported cases of children with histories of pauciarticular juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) later developing myasthenia gravis (MG) as young adults. This is intriguing because it had been considered rare to diagnose a second autoimmune disease in a patient with pauciarticular JCA, unlike in those with adult-onset rheumatoid arthritis. We report a case of MG in a 20-year-old woman with a history of pauciarticular JCA. ⋯ The patient underwent a surgical thymectomy and was treated with pyridostigmine, intravenous immunoglobulin, and corticosteroids with a fluctuating clinical course. Previous cases have been reported of MG associated with this subtype of JCA, suggesting a connection in autoimmune pathology. The earlier recognition and management of MG in a patient with pauciarticular JCA presenting with weakness may improve the prognosis of this disease.
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Infectious diseases commonly cause illnesses that mimic rheumatic diseases. Both Lyme disease and Parvovirus B19 infections produce arthritis, rashes, and a systemic illness that may be thought to represent a chronic rheumatic disease. ⋯ The features of Lyme disease and Parvovirus B19 infection that may mimic systemic lupus erythematosus include a facial rash, often in a malar distribution, hematologic abnormalities, arthritis, neurologic disorders, and autoantibody positivity. Given the proper season and geographical location, one must consider the possibility of co-infection with these two organisms, especially in those with atypical rheumatic complaints.