Relationship between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and choroidal and retinal thickness in Behçet's disease / A relação entre a taxa de sedimentação eritrocitária, espessuras de coroide e retina na doença de Behçet

ABSTRACT Purpose: To compare retinal and choroidal thickness in patients with Behçet's disease with and without ocular involvement as well as to evaluate the correlation between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and choroidal thickness among patients with Behçet's disease. Methods: This was a prospective interventional study investigating erythrocyte sedimentation as well as choroidal and retinal thickness among patients with Behçet's disease. Patients who were diagnosed based on The International Criteria for Behçet's Disease with (Group A) or without (Group B) ocular involvement and a matched control group (Group C) participated in the study. Optical coherence tomography measurements and blood tests were performed on the same day. Retinal and choroidal thickness were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany), and central macular thickness, central subfoveal choroidal thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were measured using optical coherence tomography. Results: Average erythrocyte sedimenta­tion values were 9.89 mm/h in Group A, 16.21 mm/h in Group B, and 3.89 mm/h in Group C; average central subfoveal choroidal thickness values were 350.66, 331.74, and 325.95 mm, respectively. Average central macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values of patients in Groups A, B and C were 226.39 and 225.97mm; 234.11 and 92.00 mm; and 97.58 and 99.84 mm, respectively. No significant difference was seen between Group A and B patients in central subfoveal choroidal thickness, central macular thickness, or retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values. Central macular thickness was statistically significantly thinner in Groups A and B than in Group C (p=0.016). Group A had thinning in the nasal quadrant of the retinal and general retinal nerve fiber layers when compared with those in Group C (p=0.010 and 0.041, respectively). A connection could not be established between the erythrocyte sedimentation, central subfoveal cho­roidal thickness, central macular thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the patients with Behçet's disease. Conclusion: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is typically used to test for activation of Behçet's disease and assess treatment response. In our study, we could not establish a connection between the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and central subfoveal choroidal thickness, central macular thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients with systematically active Behçet's disease without ocular involvement.

RESUMO Objetivos: Comparar a espessura da retina e da coroide em pacientes com doença de Behçet, com e sem acometimento ocular e avaliar a correlação entre a taxa de sedimentação de eritrócitos e a espessura da coroide em pacientes com doença de Behçet. Métodos: Estudo prospectivo intervencional que investigou a sedimentação de eritrócitos, espessura de coroide e da retina em pacientes com doença de Behçet. Os pacientes que foram diagnosticados com base nos Critérios Internacionais para a Doença de Behçet com (Grupo A) ou sem (Grupo B) envolvimento ocular e um grupo controle correspondente (Grupo C) participaram do estudo. Medidas de tomografia de coerência óptica e exames de sangue foram realizados no mesmo dia. As espessuras da retina e da coroide foram medidas utilizando tomografia de coerência óptica de domínio espectral (Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering, Hidelberg, Germany) e a espessura macular central, a espessura coroidal subfoveal central e a espessura da camada de fibra nervosa da retina foram medidas usando tomografia de coerência óptica. Resultados: Os valores médios de sedimentação de eritrócitos foram de 9,89 mm/h no Grupo A, 16,21 mm/h no Grupo B e 3,89 mm/h no Grupo C; os valores médios da espessura da coroide subfoveal central foram 350,66, 331,74 e 325,95 mm respectivamente. Os valores médios da espessura macular central e da espessura da camada de fibra nervosa da retina dos pacientes nos grupos A, B e C foram de 226,39, 225,97, 234,11 mm e 92,00, 97,58, 99,84 mm respectivamente. Não houve diferença significativa entre pacientes do Grupo A e B na espessura da coroide subfoveal central, espessura macular central ou valores da espessura da camada de fibra nervosa da retina. A espessura macular central foi estatisticamente significativamente mais fina nos Grupos A e B do que no Grupo C (p=0,016). O Grupo A apresentou afinamento na porção nasal das camadas retiniana e geral da fibra nervosa da retina quando comparado com o Grupo C (p=0,010, p=0,041, respectivamente). Não foi possível estabelecer uma conexão entre a sedimentação dos eritrócitos, a espessura subfoveal central da coroide, a espessura macular central e espessura da camada de fibras nervosas da retina nos pacientes com doença de Behçet. Conclusão: A taxa de sedimentação de eritrócitos é comumente utilizada para testar a ativação da doença de Behçet e avaliar a resposta ao tratamento. Em nosso estudo, não foi possível estabelecer uma conexão entre a taxa de sedimentação de eritrócitos e a espessura da coroide subfoveal central, espessura macular central e espessura da camada de fibras nervosas da retina em pacientes com doença de Behçet sistematicamente ativa sem envolvimento ocular.

Relationship between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and choroidal and retinal thickness in Behçet's disease.

PURPOSE: To compare retinal and choroidal thickness in patients with Behçet's disease with and without ocular involvement as well as to evaluate the correlation between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and choroidal thickness among patients with Behçet's disease. METHODS: This was a prospective interventional study investigating erythrocyte sedimentation as well as choroidal and retinal thickness among patients with Behçet's disease. Patients who were diagnosed based on The International Criteria for Behçet's Disease with (Group A) or without (Group B) ocular involvement and a matched control group (Group C) participated in the study. Optical coherence tomography measurements and blood tests were performed on the same day. Retinal and choroidal thickness were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany), and central macular thickness, central subfoveal choroidal thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were measured using optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Average erythrocyte sedimenta-tion values were 9.89 mm/h in Group A, 16.21 mm/h in Group B, and 3.89 mm/h in Group C; average central subfoveal choroidal thickness values were 350.66, 331.74, and 325.95 mm, respectively. Average central macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values of patients in Groups A, B and C were 226.39 and 225.97mm; 234.11 and 92.00 mm; and 97.58 and 99.84 mm, respectively. No significant difference was seen between Group A and B patients in central subfoveal choroidal thickness, central macular thickness, or retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values. Central macular thickness was statistically significantly thinner in Groups A and B than in Group C (p=0.016). Group A had thinning in the nasal quadrant of the retinal and general retinal nerve fiber layers when compared with those in Group C (p=0.010 and 0.041, respectively). A connection could not be established between the erythrocyte sedimentation, central subfoveal cho-roidal thickness, central macular thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the patients with Behçet's disease. CONCLUSION: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is typically used to test for activation of Behçet's disease and assess treatment response. In our study, we could not establish a connection between the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and central subfoveal choroidal thickness, central macular thickness, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients with systematically active Behçet's disease without ocular involvement.

Efficacy of fluoroscopy-guided triple shoulder injection for older patients with nonspecific shoulder pain.

PURPOSE: Nonspecific shoulder pain is a common complaint in older adults that impairs physical function by restricting the range of joint movement, and causing severe pain. The study evaluated the effects of fluoroscopy-guided triple shoulder injection [i.e., injection into glenohumeral (GH) joint, subacromial (SA) space, and acromioclavicular (AC) joint] on pain, function, and range of motion in older patients with nonspecific shoulder pain. METHODS: A total of 43 patients who were aged 65 years and older and diagnosed with nonspecific shoulder pain were included in this prospective, non-randomized clinical trial; 65.1% of the patients were female and mean age was 70.2 ± 5.0. Under fluoroscopic guidance, a mixture of methylprednisolone and bupivacaine was injected into the GH joint, SA space and AC joint. Patients were evaluated as per the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRS-Pain), the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and the active range of motion (AROM) at baseline, and again at 3 and 12 weeks after the injection. RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement was detected in NRS-Pain, SPADI, and AROM at 3 and 12 weeks after injection compared with baseline. The change in SPADI score from baseline was higher than the minimal detectable change in 67.4% of patients at 12 weeks. The SPADI score at baseline was positively correlated with the post-injection SPADI score at 3 and 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In older patients with nonspecific shoulder pain, fluoroscopy-guided triple shoulder injection provides significant improvements in pain and physical function with low complication rates during the 12-week follow-up.