Epiphyseal pseudotumor of the tibia:an uncommon presentation of osteoarthritis.

Epiphyseal pseudotumor secondary to osteoarthritis are rare in patients under 50 years. We report here the case of a 48-year-old woman who complained of pain in the medial side of the left knee for three years. X-rays of the left knee showed a large lytic lesion containing multiple septae, with sclerotic margins at the upper end of the tibia, associated with knee osteoarthritis. An epiphyseal tumor of the left tibia was suspected. CT scan of the left knee concluded in a giant subchondral cyst secondary to osteoarthritis. Subchondral cysts or geodes are a common finding in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, some unusual aspects of the lesions may lead to diagnosis difficulties.

Performance of ultrasounds compared with radiographs to detect chronic enthesitis signs in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

To assess the performance of ultrasound in detecting erosion, swelling, and new bone comparing to radiographs in five lower limb entheses in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Prospective study of 60 patients meeting modified New York criteria for AS. Lateral radiographs of both knees and ankles followed by a high-resolution Doppler ultrasound examination with a high-frequency (15 MHz) linear probe were performed. Ultrasound had an excellent sensitivity, but specificity was very weak compared to radiographs for erosion, swelling, and new bone formation. Negative and positive predictive values were good only for erosion. Ultrasound seems to be a performant instrument in detecting signs of chronic enthesitis particularly when radiograph is normal.

Early Identification of Sacroiliitis in Patients with Suspected Spondyloarthritis: A Challenging Task.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting sacroiliitis in nonradiographic SpA (nr-SpA). METHODS: This cross-sectional monocentric double-blind study included 63 patients consulting for symptoms suggestive of SpA between February 2014 and February 2017. Patients with conventional radiographs showing a confirmed sacroiliitis (grade 3 or 4) were not included. Eligible patients underwent CT and MRI of sacroiliac joints (SIJ). CT and MR images were interpreted by 2 experienced musculoskeletal radiologists blinded to clinical and laboratory data. Two professors in rheumatology blinded to radiologists' conclusions analyzed clinical data, laboratory tests, HLA typing, X-rays, CT and MRI images, and divided the patients into 2 groups: confirmed nr-SpA or no SpA. This classification was considered the gold standard when analyzing the results. RESULTS: 46 women and 17 men were included in this study. 47 patients were classified as confirmed nr-SpA (74.6%) and 16 patients as no SpA (25.4%). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of CT and MRI for detecting sacroiliitis were, respectively, estimated at 71.7%, 71.4%, 89.2%, 43.5%, and 51.2%, 100%, 100%, and 40%. CT and MRI findings were found to be statistically associated (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: SIJ MRI is a highly specific method in the detection of sacroiliitis, but with a moderate sensitivity. SIJ CT scan, usually known as the third option after radiography and MRI, has much greater diagnostic utility than it has been documented previously.

[Validation of the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life questionnaire in Tunisian language]. / Validation de la version dialectale tunisienne de l'ankylosing spondylitis quality of life (ASQoL).

BACKGROUND: The Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaire is a Wide-world used, unidimensional, disease-specific measure of quality of life. Arabic or Tunisian versions of ASQoL or any other quality of life index are not provided. AIM: To adapt the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of life Questionnaire (ASQoL) for use in Tunisian and to test its reliability and validity. METHODS: 99 patients who fulfilled the modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were included in this study (84 male and 15 female). The translation process included the recent guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation. Reliability of the Tunisian version of the ASQoL was assessed by test-retest method (day 1 and day 10) and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. For construct validity, ASQoL scores were correlated with specific instruments of AS. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 38.35 years ± 12.26 (18- 73) and the mean disease duration was 11.3 years ± 9.4 (0.6 - 40). The mean time to complete the questionnaire was 5 minutes. Reproducibility was good with no significant difference between ASQoL0 (mean score = 9.8 ± 5.04) and ASQoL10 (mean score = 9.46 ± 5.89) as well as the statically significant positive correlation intra-class coefficient: 0.87 (IC 95%: 0.79-0.92). Internal consistency was good (Cronbach: 0.933; IC95%=0.86-0.95). ASQoL was significantly correlated with BASDAI (p<0.001), BASFI (p<0.001), BASG-s (p<0.001), BASMI (p=0.026), MASES (p=0.024) and all items of SF-36. CONCLUSION: Validation of the ASQoL for use in Tunisia was successful. The results of the present study indicate that the Tunisian version for ASQoL is reliable and valid.

HLA-B, DR and DQ antigens polymorphism in Tunisian patients with ankylosing spondylitis (a case-control study).

The objective of the study is to assess the distribution of HLA-B genes, HLA-B27 subtypes, HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and in control subjects in the Tunisian population and to compare their distribution with that found in other countries. This is a case-control study that included 100 consecutive patients (85 males/15 females) with AS according to the modified New York criteria and 100 control individuals. HLA-B, B27 subtypes and class II (DR and DQ) typing of all subjects was performed by polymerase chain reaction amplification with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). HLA-B27 was found in 62% of patients against 3% in controls (P = 0.0000, OR = 52.6, 15.6 < CI < 166.7). On the other hand, B*07 and B*51 were significantly decreased in comparison with controls (P = 0.01, OR = 0.3, 0.1 < CI < 0.8 and P = 0.0000, OR = 0.2, 0.1 < CI < 0.4, respectively). Eight B*27 subtypes were identified in the AS group, but the most frequent ones were B*2702 (32%) and B*2705 (24%). Among HLA-DRB1 alleles, a significant increase in DRB1*11 was found in comparison with controls (P = 0.01, OR = 2.2, 1.2 < CI < 4.5). However, DRB1*13 had a negative association with AS (P = 0.01, OR = 0.4, 0.2 < CI < 0.8). For HLA-DQB1 alleles, a significant positive association with DQB1*03 was observed in AS group (P = 0.03, OR = 1.8, 1.0 < CI < 3.4). Multivariate analysis by logistic regression revealed that DRB1*11 and DQB1*03 had no direct links with the disease, but were dependent on the presence of HLA-B27. Moreover, B*07 and B*51 seemed to have independently a negative correlation with AS, but DRB1*13 seemed to depend on B*51. Haplotypes carrying B27 were significantly associated with AS and those carrying B*07 or B*51 were negatively correlated with the disease. In conclusion, our study confirms that B27 predisposes to AS while B*07 and B*51 are negatively correlated with the disease.

Noncontiguous multifocal spondylitis: an exceptional presentation of spinal brucellosis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the imaging features of multilevel brucellar spondylitis and discuss the diagnostic challenges CASE: The authors report describes one case of noncontiguous synchronous multifocal involvement of thoracic and lumbar spine. RESULTS: Brucellosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, relatively frequent in Mediterranean countries and in the Middle East that can involve many organs and tissues. The spine is the most common site of musculoskeletal involvement, but multilevel involvement is uncommon and only ten cases were reported in literature. CONCLUSION: Although it is an exceptional form, multifocal brucellar spondylitis is worth to be known to avoid diagnostic mistakes.

[Rheumatologic manifestations of sarcoidosis]. / Les manifestations rhumatologiques de la sarcoidose.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. It has various clinical features. The most commonly affected organs are the lung, the lymph nodes, the eyes and the skin. Involvement of the musculoskeletal system is far less common and may be inaugural. Articular involvement is dominated by Lofgren syndrome and acute polyarthritis. Abarticular manifestations are often confounded with arthritis. Bone locations are dominated by sarcoidosis dactylitis and osteolysis. Muscular involvement is often unknown and can appear as 3 clinical features: spread form, myositique form or pseudotumoral form. Calcium balance disturbances are dominated by hypercalcemia which is often asymptomatique, but sometimes it reveal the sarcoidosis. Treatment of rheumatologic disorders often involves non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and methotrexate. Biological therapies such as the anti-TNFa and the anti-CD20 were showed to be effective in some case reports of severe and refractory disease.

About a knee pain.

A beautiful 28-year-old female patient, 1.77 meters long, was referred to us after mammoplasty for mechanical knee pain. Below, her X-rays of the pelvis and the two knees. What is your diagnosis?

Validation of the Tunisian versions of Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and Disease Activity Index (BASDAI).

BACKGROUND: The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity (BASDAI) are the most commonly used instruments to evaluate respectively functioning and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and validate these instruments into the Tunisian language. METHODS: The studied population consisted of 68 AS patients (59 males and 9 females). Their mean age was 37.9 years (range: 18-76). The mean disease duration was 13.6 years (range: 1-40). After translation and retranslation the BASFI and BASDAI questionnaires were administrated to the patients and tested for reliability, internal consistency and construct validity. RESULTS: The reproducibility of the indices BASFI and BASFAI was good, the intraclass correlation coefficient for reliability was 0.96 (CCI:0.93-0.97) for the BASFI and 0.93 (CCI:0.90-0.97) for the BASDAI, and the coefficient of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.91 for BASFI and 0.90 for BASDAI. Concerning construct validity, both questionnaires were significantly correlated to each other, to the disease-specific instruments (BASG-s, BASMI, BASRI, ASQoL) and to all domains of the SF-36. CONCLUSION: The Tunisian versions of the BASFI and the BASDAI preserve the metrological properties of the original versions and were easy to use for the assessment of disease status in ankylosing spondylitis.

Multiple brown tumors revealing a parathyroid adenoma. About 2 cases.

A brown tumor is a rare complication of hyperparathyroidism. Its circumstances of discovery are multiple and its symptoms are nonspecific. We report here two cases with deceptive forms of multiple brown tumors discovered in patients with bone pain. It was a parathyroid adenoma in both cases. So, measurement of parathyroid hormone (even in absence of hypercalcemia) should be systematic in every patient with lytic skeletal images.

Contribution of bone mineral density in stress fractures of elite athletes.

INTRODUCTION: The stress fracture occurs in a healthy bone with a lack of adaptation to sustained, intensive and repetitive physical activity. However, bone mineral density is strongly correlated with bone strength and fractures may occur more easily on osteoporotic bone. AIM: To evaluate the bone densitometric profile of elite athletes with a history of stress fracture and to determine the interest in preventing this type of fracture. METHODS: cross-sectional study comparing a group of elite athletes to a control group matched by sex, age and sports discipline. Bone mineral density is measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Our study involved 10 elite athletes with a mean age of 20.3 years and a history of stress fracture, compared to a population of 8 controls practicing the same sport with the same training volume per week. The diagnosis of clinically suspected stress fracture is confirmed in all cases by bone scintigraphy. Osteopenia is diagnosed in one patient while osteoporosis is found in one of the controls. No significant difference was found between the 2 mean bone densities (at the lumbar spine and proximal femur) among the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: bone densitometry does not seem to be, according to our study, a relevant tool in preventing stress fractures in elite athletes.

Assessment of fracture risk in patients with spondyloarthritis using the FRAX scores.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis and fractures are known to complicate spondyloarthritis (SA). The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) estimate the 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) and also hip fracture (FH). It can be useful as risk assessment tools for the purpose of preventing fracture in SA. AIM: To measure the bone mineral density (BMD), to evaluate the FRAX and to determinate factors associated with high risk of fracture in patients with SA. METHODS: It's a prospective cross-sectional study that included seventy-five patients admitted for SA, in the rheumatology department of Kassab institute in Tunisia. All of them fulfilled the modified New York criteria for SA. RESULTS: Sixty-two men and thirteen women were enrolled, with mean age of 36.8 ± 11.8 years. The mean age at disease onset was 27.8± 9.9 years. Mean BASDAI and ASDAS CRP were respectively 3.5 ± 2.4 and 3 ± 0.83. The mean BASRI was 8.9 ± 4.2 and the mean mSASSS was 17.6 ± 19.6. Vitamin D insuffiency and deficiency were found in 43 and 30 patients respectively. Osteoporosis (T score ≤ -2,5 SD) were found in 49% of patients and 80 % of them have a reduced BMD (T score ≤ -1 SD). The mean MOF score was 0,36 ± 0,3 [0-0,9] and the mean FH score was 0,3 ± 0 [0-0,5].The MOF was significantly associated with Bone loss (p=0.000). A trend for a significant association was also found with ASDASCRP (p=0.05). The MOF and FH were both significantly associated to the age at the onset of SA (respectively, p=0,003 and p=0,002). The risk of FH was higher when hip BASRI (p=0..036) and ESR were high (p=0,014), it's also associated to age (p=0..002) and vitamin D deficiency (p= 0.043). However, no correlation was found between the MOF and FH and the presence of peripheral arthritis, enthesitis or hip arthritis. CONCLUSION: The MOF score, in patient's wih SA, was associated with bone loss, age at disease onset and ASDASCRP. The HF score was associated with age, Vitamine D deficiency, age at disease onset, high hip BASRI and high ESR.

About an aggressive bone lesion.

We report here a case of hyperparathyroidism with disseminated brown tumors mimicking malignancy. The important clinical teaching of our case is that hyperparathyroidism can take various aspects. Plasma parathyroid hormone concentration should be measured in all patients with multiple bone lesions.

[Sacred sacrum!] / Un sacré sacrum!

Post-fracture osteolysis of the sacrum is a rare radiological entity mimicking a serious disease. We report the case of a female patient lost to follow-up after biopsy indication. She presented again after 4 months. During multi-stage bone registration prior to the biopsy, we noticed a change in the appearance of the lesion, associating a linear image (corresponding to the fracture line) with condensation at the edges. Patient's evolution was good after a period of rest at 6-months follow-up. This study highlights the atypical imaging appearance and the diagnostic difficulties associated with post-fracture osteolysis of the sacrum. The particularity of our patient is that symptoms were masked by disc-related nerve root impingement with right L5 root and that the sacrum osteolysis was unexpectedly discovered on CT scan.