Early stages of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and chronic inflammation: the Camargo Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: DISH has traditionally been considered a non-inflammatory rheumatic disorder. Currently, an inflammatory component has been theorized in the early phases of this condition (EDISH). The study is aimed at investigating a possible relationship between EDISH and chronic inflammation. METHOD: Analytical-observational study: participants from the Camargo Cohort Study were enrolled. We collected clinical, radiological, and laboratory data. C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index were assessed. EDISH was defined by Schlapbach's scale grades I or II. A fuzzy matching with tolerance factor = 0.2 was performed. Subjects without ossification (NDISH), sex- and age-matched with cases (1:4), acted as controls. Definite DISH was an exclusion criterion. Multivariable analyses were performed. RESULTS: We evaluated 987 persons (mean age 64 ± 8 years; 191 cases with 63.9% women). EDISH subjects presented more frequently obesity, T2DM, MetS, and the lipid pattern [↑TG ↓TC]. TyG index and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were higher. Trabecular bone score (TBS) was significantly lower (1.310 [0.2] vs. 1.342 [0.1]; p = 0.025). CRP and ALP showed the highest correlation (r = 0.510; p = 0.0001) at lowest TBS level. AGR was lower, and its correlations with ALP (r = - 0.219; p = 0.0001) and CTX (r = - 0.153; p = 0.022), were weaker or non-significant in NDISH. After adjustment for potential confounders, estimated CRP means for EDISH and NDISH were 0.52 (95% CI: 0.43-0.62) and 0.41 (95% CI: 0.36-0.46), respectively (p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: EDISH was associated with chronic inflammation. Findings revealed an interplay between inflammation, trabecular impairment, and the onset of ossification. Lipid alterations were similar to those observed in chronic-inflammatory diseases. Key Points • An inflammatory component has been theorized in early stages of DISH (EDISH) • In EDISH group compared to non-DISH, we observed significantly higher correlations between biomarkers and some relevant variables. In particular, with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and with trabecular bone score (TBS) • EDISH has shown to be associated with chronic inflammation • The lipid alterations observed in the EDISH group were similar to those observed in chronic-inflammatory diseases.

Relationship between spinal osteoarthritis and vertebral fractures in men older than 50 years: data from the Camargo Cohort Study.

Spinal osteoarthritis has been suggested as a risk factor for vertebral fractures. However, results are conflicting: most of the data are focused on the lumbar region, and referred to postmenopausal women, whereas data for men are scarce. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between spinal osteoarthritis and vertebral fractures in men over 50 years of age. We conducted a cross-sectional study, nested in a prospective population-based cohort, including 507 community-dwelling men, 93 of them with at least one vertebral fracture. Vertebral fractures, osteophytosis, and disc space narrowing (DSN) were assessed by lateral thoracic and lumbar radiographs. Anthropometric, clinical, and densitometric variables were also analyzed. A multiple logistic regression model was performed. Eighty-five percent of vertebral fractures were located at the thoracic spine. Osteophytosis and DSN showed a bimodal distribution, with major frequency peaks at mid- and distal lumbar spine. The three distributions overlapped around the T9 vertebra. We did not find any relationship between lumbar osteoarthritis and vertebral fractures. Nevertheless, thoracic osteophytosis (OR, 1.84; 95 % CI, 1.05-3.17; p = 0.03) and DSN (OR, 2.52; 95 % CI, 1.43-4.46; p = 0.001) were found to be independently associated with prevalent vertebral fractures, after adjusting for confounders. Our results suggest a positive relationship between radiologic osteoarthritic changes at the thoracic spine and prevalent vertebral fractures in men more than 50 years of age. Osteoarthritis may act as a local risk factor, in addition to other mechanical factors, resulting in a greater propensity to fracture, especially at the mid-thoracic region.

Imaging findings of pulmonary infection caused by Scedosporium prolificans in a deep immunocompromised patient.

Scedosporium prolificans is an emerging fungus that causes rapid progressive and disseminated infections in immunodepressed patients. We present a case of a 34-year-old woman with chronic myelogenous leukemia who received a bone marrow transplantation and suffered a sudden respiratory failure in +67 day. Chest radiographies showed growing bilateral patchy condensations. Computed Tomography depicted bilateral nodular condensation of alveolar space. S. prolificans was detected from sputum, but the patient died 72 h later. Imaging findings of lung scedosporiosis are nonspecific, but CT may provide a prompter diagnosis and allow to add newer antifungal treatments. This report presents the first imaging report of lung scedosporiosis.

Posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm of the brachial artery and postsurgical retraction of median nerve: description of a case and ultrasonography findings.

We present the case of a 25-year-old man who developed a brachial artery pseudoaneurysm and a subsequent haematoma after a penetrating injury with a window glass. A surgical excision of the pseudoaneurysm (anterior access) and a drainage of the haematoma were performed. After surgery, the patient developed a median nerve paresis, secondary to the postsurgical scar located in the elbow flexure. The diagnosis of these two entities was performed with ultrasound. Ultrasonography is an excellent imaging tool to make the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysms and nerve pathology, determining the presence, localization and extent of neural damage.

Rentabilidad de la biopsia con aguja gruesa guiada mediante estereotaxia en el estudio de calcificaciones mamarias / Diagnostic yield of stereotactic core needle biopsy in the study of breast calcifications

Objetivo: Determinar la utilidad de la biopsia con aguja gruesa guiada mediante estereotaxia en el estudio de calcificaciones mamarias.Material y métodos: Estudiamos retrospectivamente los casos de 71 mujeres a las que se realizó biopsia estereotáxica y biopsia quirúrgica por presencia de calcificaciones en el estudio mamográfico. Todos los casos se revisaron mediante doble lectura radiológica y las calcificaciones se clasificaron siguiendo los criterios de la terminología BIRADS en categorías 3, 4 y 5.Resultados: De los 71 casos, 19 fueron clasificados dentro del grupo 3, 30 en el grupo 4 y 22 en el grupo 5. La biopsia con aguja gruesa reveló carcinoma en 30 casos, hiperplasia ductal atípica en 8, lesión esclerosante compleja en 1 y en 32 lesiones benignas de las cuales 14 fueron falsos negativos tras la biopsia quirúrgica. Para las calcificaciones de categoría 3, la biopsia con aguja gruesa presentó un VPP del 100 por ciento y un VPN del 75 por ciento, y en las calcificaciones categorías 4 y 5 tuvo un VPP alto (90,62 por ciento), y sin embargo, un VPN bajo (42,85 por ciento).Conclusiones: En las calcificaciones del grupo 3, la biopsia con aguja gruesa es un método útil para decidir el seguimiento radiológico o la realización de biopsia quirúrgica. En los grupos 4 y 5, la técnica presenta limitaciones, siendo útil para planificar el procedimiento quirúrgico. En los casos en que se obtiene diagnóstico de hiperplasia ductal atípica y carcinoma in situ en la biopsia con aguja gruesa, se debe indicar realización de biopsia quirúrgica (AU)