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Collagen Vascular Diseases (collagen + vascular_disease)

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Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Toxicity of radiotherapy in patients with collagen vascular disease

CANCER, Issue 3 2008
Alexander Lin MD
Abstract BACKGROUND. A diagnosis of collagen vascular disease (CVD) may predispose to radiotherapy (RT) toxicity. The objective of the current study was to identify factors that influence RT toxicity in the setting of CVD. METHODS. A total of 86 RT courses for 73 patients with CVD were delivered between 1985 and 2005. CVD subtypes include rheumatoid arthritis (RA; 33 patients), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; 13 patients), scleroderma (9 patients), dermatomyositis/polymyositis (5 patients), ankylosing spondylitis (4 patients), polymyalgia rheumatica/temporal arteritis (4 patients), Wegener granulomatosis (3 patients), and mixed connective tissue disorders (MCTD)/other (2 patients). Each patient with CVD was matched to 1 to 3 controls with respect to sex, race, site irradiated, RT dose (±2 Gray), and age (±5 years). RESULTS. There was no significant difference between CVD patients (65.1%) and controls (72.5%) experiencing any acute toxicity. CVD patients had a higher incidence of any late toxicity (29.1% vs 14%; P = .001), and a trend toward an increased rate of severe late toxicity (9.3% vs 3.7%; P = .079). RT delivered to the breast had increased risk of severe acute toxicity, whereas RT to the pelvis had increased risk of severe acute and late toxicity. RT administered in the setting of scleroderma carried a higher risk of severe late toxicity, whereas RT to SLE patients carried a higher risk of severe acute and late toxicity. CONCLUSIONS. Although generally well tolerated, RT in the setting of CVD appears to carry a higher risk of late toxicity. RT to the pelvis or in the setting of SLE or scleroderma may predispose to an even greater risk of severe toxicity. These issues should be considered when deciding whether to offer RT for these patients. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source]

Pulmonary fibrosis in myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides

RESPIROLOGY, Issue 2 2004
Sakae HOMMA
Objective: The association of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) with myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-associated vasculitides has not been well documented. The aim of this study was to assess the clinicopathological characteristics of PF in patients who tested positive for MPO-ANCA. Methodology: In this study, 31 patients (17 males and 14 females; mean age, 69 years) diagnosed as having PF with positive MPO-ANCA levels ranging from 10 to 840 EU with a mean of 112.5 EU, were evaluated clinicopathologically. Results: Among 31 patients with PF, 22 had underlying systemic diseases such as collagen vascular diseases, while nine had unknown aetiology. Evidence of glomerulonephritis was demonstrated in 14 patients. The clinical features were a history of dry cough and/or fine crackles in all 31 patients. Chest CT scans showed honeycombing in the lung bases in 26 patients. The histopathological features of the diseased lung tissues in all 11 autopsied cases were compatible with the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern. Vasculitis was confirmed in bronchial arteries and/or pulmonary arterioles in five patients. The mortality was as high as 13 of the 31 patients. The causes of death were: deterioration of PF in five (two of whom were associated with pulmonary haemorrhage), lung cancer in two, pneumonia in four, and digestive tract bleeding in two. The survival rates in PF with MPO-ANCA-negative collagen vascular diseases, cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA), and PF with positive MPO-ANCA, were compared. The 5-year survival rate in PF with positive MPO-ANCA was worse than in PF with MPO-ANCA-negative collagen vascular diseases and was the same for CFA. Conclusion: Although there was no correlation between MPO-ANCA titres and the activity of PF, this study demonstrated that the presence of positive MPO-ANCA was an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with PF. [source]

A review of the cutaneous paraneoplastic associations and metastatic presentations of ovarian carcinoma

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
N. Scheinfeld
Summary Ovarian carcinoma possesses cutaneous and paraneoplastic associations. The aim of this study was to review the paraneoplastic associations and metastatic presentations of ovarian carcinoma. PubMed was searched through December 2006 for references to cutaneous metastatic ovarian carcinoma (CMOC). CMOC occurs in 2,7% of cases, manifests in advanced disease and indicates a poor prognosis. The paraneoplastic associations of ovarian carcinoma include acanthosis nigricans, Raynaud's phenomenon, scleroderma, dermatomyositis and palmar fasciitis with polyarthritis. Dermatomyositis, in particular, can precede the diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma. Ovarian carcinoma has many cutaneous paraneoplastic effects and metastatic presentations, all of which portend a poor prognosis. Dermatomyositis is sometimes the initial manifestation of ovarian cancer, thus women > 40 years of age with dermatomyositis should be checked for ovarian carcinoma. It is possible that paraneoplastic dermtomyosititis can be distinguished from nonparaneoplastic dermatomyostitis by the former's lack of (i) associated Raynaud's phenomenon, (ii) response to treatment, (iii) autoantibodies, (iv) overlap and association with other collagen vascular diseases and (v) the presence of the prodromal symptoms of ovarian carcinoma such as gastrointestinal symptoms, urinary symptoms and/or fatigue or malaise. [source]

Rheumatoid papules treated with dapsone

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
J. A. Martin
Summary A patient with a long history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis presented with a progressive papular eruption on the trunk. A skin biopsy showed a neutrophilic and palisaded granulomatous dermatitis compatible with rheumatoid papules. The eruption failed to respond to topical and systemic corticosteroids and the patient was treated with dapsone with complete resolution of the rash. Rheumatoid papules are a rare disorder seen in a variety of collagen vascular diseases. The literature concerning the treatment of rheumationd papules is scanty. In this patient, dapsone was an effective treatment. [source]