[Severe therapy refractive osteoporosis : A rare differential diagnosis]. / Schwere therapierefraktäre Osteoporose : Eine seltene Differenzialdiagnose.

Systemic mastocytosis is defined as a clonal increase of mast cells. We report on four patients with severe osteoporosis and histologically confirmed systemic mastocytosis. In spite of antiresorptive therapy the patients developed further vertebral fractures and suffered from ostealgia. Systemic mastocytosis is an important differential diagnosis in patients with therapy refractive and unexplained osteoporosis. Skin involvement (urticaria pigmentosa) is a rare occurrence and in most cases an isolated involvement of bone marrow is present. Determination of serum tryptase can provide indications for systemic mastocytosis but the diagnosis is only confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. There is a high risk of vertebral fractures and patients should be treated in specialized centers. Zoledronic acid can be a therapeutic option for indolent osteoporosis associated with systemic mastocytosis.

[Deficiencies in rehabilitation measures in the course of early chronic polyarthritis]. / Defizite rehabilitativer Massnahmen im Verlauf der frühen chronischen Polyarthritis.

It was the objective of this descriptive cohort study with prospective and retrospective data collection to examine whether measures of rehabilitation medicine and of vocational rehabilitation are too rare during the course of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Seventy three gainfully employed consecutive outpatients with early RA at the first examination (time one -T1) (> or = 5 ARA 1958 criteria, disease duration < or = 12 months) were reexamined at time two (T2) after a mean follow-up of 6 years (S.D. +/- 2 yrs.). Of the 73 patients 27 persons received a social security pension at T2 because of work disability (WD) due to RA. This group was analysed separately from the 34 patients who were still working at T2. Even though the 27 patients with WD had severe disease (functional capacity, ESR, radiological erosions) at T2, only 17 (63%) had participated in inpatient rehabilitation programmes. Despite frequent strenuous job-related physical requirements in 44-70% of the patients with WD measures of vocational rehabilitation had been taken in only 26%: vocational retraining in 4%, adaptation of the workplace because of RA in 8%, reduced working-time in 22%. No patient had changed the job. At least one of these measures of vocational rehabilitation had been taken in only 7 of 34 of the persons working at T2 (21%). Of these 34 patients 21-39% reported continued difficulties with different physical requirements of their jobs. In the early phase of RA significant shortcomings regarding the measures of rehabilitation medicine and vocational rehabilitation could be demonstrated. The early initiation of rehabilitation programmes aims at an improvement of the patient's physical abilities and an adjustment of the job requirements.

Prediction of permanent work disability in a follow-up study of early rheumatoid arthritis: results of a tree structured analysis using RECPAM.

The objectives of this study are: (a) to determine the occurrence of permanent work disability (PWD) in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA); (b) to identify prognostic groups of patients; (c) to assess the employment rates for these groups over time. Seventy-three gainfully employed consecutive out-patients with early RA (> or = 5 ARA 1958 criteria, disease duration < or = 12 months) at time one (T1) were re-examined at time two (T2) after a mean follow-up of 6 yr (S.D. +/- 2 yr). Potential risk factors, identified at T1, for PWD at T2 were entered in a tree structured survival analysis using RECPAM (RECursive Partition and AMalgamation). Cumulative 3 yr employment rates (3-yrER +/- S.E.M.) were computed from the resulting Kaplan-Meier curves. At T2, PWD occurred in 27 of the 73 patients (37%). The fastest decline in the employment rate was found within the first 3 yr of the disease onset, with a 3-yrER reduced to 73 +/- 5%. The group with the poorest prognosis (n = 14; 3-yrER 14 +/- 9%) was defined by age > or = 50 yr with either ESR > or = 60 mm/h or the combination of modified functional class (1-7) > or = 4 with a disease duration > or = 7 months. An intermediate group (n = 38; 3-yrER 79 +/- 6%) was defined by (a) age > or = 50 yr and low or moderate disease activity, (b) age < 50 yr and more strenuous job-related physical requirements, (c) age < 50 yr and less strenuous work, but joint count > or = 15. No case of PWD occurred in 21 individuals aged < 50 yr with a joint count < 15 and less physically demanding jobs. PWD occurs early in a substantial number of patients with RA. RECPAM defines risk profiles that can readily be applied in actual clinical situations and allow an estimation of the risk of PWD at different time points using the resulting Kaplan-Meier curves.