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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics in patients diagnosed with Behçet’s disease
(BD) in Brazil. We performed a retrospective review of all the patients’ records with BD diagnosed from 1988 to 2010 in the
Rheumatology Department at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). All patients had to fulfill the International Study
Group for Behçet’s disease diagnostic criteria. Eighty-seven patients were included in the study. The female/male ratio was
1.18:1, and the mean age at the onset of the disease onset was 28.03±7.57years. Oral aphthosis was the most frequent manifestation
(100%). Genital aphthosis was also frequent (77%), followed by pseudofolliculitis (47.67%). Ocular symptoms were present in
80% and neurological manifestations in 31.03% of the patients. Arthralgia was reported in 31.03% and arthritis in 13.79% of
the cases. Vascular involvement was seen in 13.95% of the patients. Only 1.14% had gastrointestinal involvement. This series,
from a South American country, showed a similar general pattern of the BD to those found in different endemic areas in the
world, with a high frequency of ocular and neurological manifestations.
KeywordsBehçet’s disease–Epidemiology–Brazil–Vasculitis–Uveitis–Neurological manifestation
Rheumatology International 04/2012; · 1.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics in patients diagnosed with Behçet's disease (BD) in Brazil. We performed a retrospective review of all the patients' records with BD diagnosed from 1988 to 2010 in the Rheumatology Department at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). All patients had to fulfill the International Study Group for Behçet's disease diagnostic criteria. Eighty-seven patients were included in the study. The female/male ratio was 1.18:1, and the mean age at the onset of the disease onset was 28.03 ± 7.57 years. Oral aphthosis was the most frequent manifestation (100%). Genital aphthosis was also frequent (77%), followed by pseudofolliculitis (47.67%). Ocular symptoms were present in 80% and neurological manifestations in 31.03% of the patients. Arthralgia was reported in 31.03% and arthritis in 13.79% of the cases. Vascular involvement was seen in 13.95% of the patients. Only 1.14% had gastrointestinal involvement. This series, from a South American country, showed a similar general pattern of the BD to those found in different endemic areas in the world, with a high frequency of ocular and neurological manifestations.
Rheumatology International 04/2011; 32(7):2063-7. · 1.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A 43-year-old woman reported pain in the right hypochondrium, which had started 3 years before and had been worsening for the past few days. Claudication in the superior and inferior limbs, diffuse myalgia, dyspnea, precordialgia followed by dizziness and visual turbidity were added to the clinical picture. In the physical examination bilateral carotid bruit was observed, abdominal aorta murmur and the decrease of the right radial and left pedis pulses and arterial hypertension with difference in the diastolic pressure between limbs >10 mmHg was also observed. On cardiac catheterisation with aortography, right coronary with proximal parietal irregularities, slight pressure increase in right chambers and pulmonary artery, preserved left ventricle contractility, competent valves, carotid and subclavian partial obstruction, severe narrowing of the abdominal aorta below the diaphragm (80%) and right renal artery significant stenosis were observed. Takayasu's arteritis (TA) diagnosis was established according to the ACR criteria based on the clinical symptomatology, on physical and image test findings. Two years later she presented malar rash, photosensitivity, nephropathy, leukopenia, lymphopenia and hemolytic anemia confirming the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis. TA coexisting with SLE has rarely been reported.
Rheumatology International 09/2009; 30(12):1669-72. · 1.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Although gastrointestinal involvement may be seen in half of the cases of PAN, vasculitis of the gallbladder at the disease onset is a rare presentation. We report a case of a 48-year-old man who was admitted due to acute cholecystitis. He had complained of myalgia, fever and weight loss for about one month prior to admission. At physical examination, mild hypertension and calf pain were noted. He underwent a cholecystectomy; histopathological evaluation disclosed necrotizing vasculitis suggestive of PAN. We emphasize that cholecystitis may be part of the initial presentation of systemic vasculitis.
Clinical Rheumatology 12/2005; 24(6):625-7. · 2.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The authors report a 38-year-old white man with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who presented with recurrent ischaemic optic neuritis. The initial diagnosis was of multiple sclerosis, but further investigation showed serology and cerebrospinal fluid culture positive for syphilis. After treatment for tertiary syphilis with penicillin, there was complete remission of the ocular symptoms. This case illustrates the differential diagnosis of optic neuritis in AS and supports the relevance of investigating infectious diseases in the management of ischaemic optic neuritis.
Rheumatology International 08/2004; 24(4):247-9. · 1.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this report is to verify the demographic, clinical, laboratorial and histopathological findings of patients with CSS followed in a University Clinical Hospital. We reviewed the medical records of all patients with the diagnosis of CSS. Only patients who fulfilled ACR criteria were included. Five Caucasian patients were found, with a sex ratio M/F: 3/2. The mean age at disease onset was 46 years old (40 to 55) and the mean time of follow-up was 2.37 years (0.25 to 6). General symptoms, asthma, peripheral neuropathy and skin lesions were the most common clinical findings in all patients. Cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal involvement was found in one patient each. All patients presented hypereosinophilia (> 10%) and p-ANCA was present in 3 patients. The chest x-ray showed pulmonary parenchymal infiltrate in 2 cases and in 1 of them an unilateral pleural effusion. Skin biopsies showed extravascular eosinophylia in 3 out of 4. All patients were treated with prednisone and in 3 it was added immunosuppressive drug. No patient died during the follow-up. CSS is a rare disease with a multivisceral involvement and asthma is the main and the earliest symptom. General symptoms and involvement of skin and peripheral nerves were found in all patients. Renal, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal involvement was rare, differently from the literature series where these findings are more frequent. In spite of the CSS being a serious and life-threatening disease, these patients presented adequate response to the treatment and a favorable outcome.
Revista Brasileira de Reumatologia 04/2004; 44(2):179-84.
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ABSTRACT: Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is an inflammatory, nonocclusive, and nonatherosclerotic vascular disease. It commonly affects arteries, veins, and surrounding neural elements and is directly related to smoking. Although distal vessels of lower and upper extremities are the most commonly involved, other vessels such as intestinal arteries can be rarely affected. The authors describe a 41-year-old white male smoker who presented with abdominal pain for 3 months and developed an acute bowel ischemia. He underwent urgent surgery, and segmental enterectomy was performed. Histopathologic findings were suggestive of TAO, showing typical involvement of small-sized veins and arteries with intact internal elastic lamina, preserved media, a local nonspecific inflammatory reaction, with new and older arterial and venous thromboses associated. Although mesenteric arteries are seldom injured by TAO, this diagnosis must be considered when the usual causes of intestinal ischemia are ruled out. In this case, even without any other clinical symptoms of TAO, this rare diagnosis could be made.
Angiology 56(6):789-92. · 1.51 Impact Factor
