The 2014 West African Ebola virus disease outbreak shocked the world as it swept through the region leaving Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone struggling to gain control. As the largest Ebola virus disease outbreak to date, there are more survivors in its wake than ever before, with a spectrum of health problems requiring management. Here we review various musculoskeletal manifestations of the virus that can occur both during and after the infection, and consider possible pathogenesis.
Arthralgia/physiopathology , Arthritis, Infectious/physiopathology , Arthritis, Reactive/physiopathology , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/physiopathology , Myalgia/physiopathology , Arthralgia/etiology , Arthritis, Infectious/etiology , Arthritis, Reactive/etiology , Enthesopathy/etiology , Enthesopathy/physiopathology , Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/complications , Humans , Musculoskeletal Diseases/etiology , Musculoskeletal Diseases/physiopathology , Myalgia/etiology , Rupture, Spontaneous , Tendons
The prognosis for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has improved significantly, with 20-year survival now approximately 80% owing partly to effective treatment. SLE treatment has evolved from the use of conventional drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and corticosteroids, nonspecific immunosuppressants including mycophenolate mofetil, to targeting selective components of the immune cascade with a view to increased efficacy, tolerability and safety profile. These novel treatments include B-cell-depleting antibodies and fusion proteins that block the costimulatory pathways of B and T cells. A discussion of these pharmacological options and ongoing research forms the basis of this review.
