Long Term Follow-Up Results of Fibromyalgia Patients

DergiPark: 379042tmsjAims: Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal syndrome of which the main symptoms are chronic widespread pain, debility and fatigue. This is an ailment that is seen 1-2% in general population, mostly in women. Most of the fibromyalgia patients are consulting to health care providers, have examinations made and getting chronic pain treatments. However, there is no sufficient data in the literature concerning long term follow-up of the fibromyalgia patients. Therefore in our study, we aimed to evaluate long term follow-up results of the patients formerly diagnosed as fibromyalgia. For this purpose, we aimed to evaluate our patients’ latest status, to diagnose whether any pain to continue, to determine if there is any autoimmune inflammatory disease developing and to assess whether they have taken a treatment or not. Methods: Seventy four female patients diagnosed fibromyalgia between the years 2003-2008 were taken to our study (Mean of age: 44.5+11.3). In the year of 2015, all of the patients are reached out and questioned about their complaints and treatments. In our study, chi-square test is used in the comparison of the categorical data (Fisher Exact test if necessary) and unpaired t test is used in the comparison of constant variables.Results: Sixty one of the patients (82.4%) remarked that their widespread pain complaints continued. Only 12 patients (16.2%) remarked that they are under follow-up of a rheumatology or physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic because of their widespread pain or a rheumatologic disease. The percentage of patients who get treatment regularly because of the widespread pain was found 21.6% (16 patients). During the period of follow-up none of the patients developed any autoimmune inflammatory disease.Conclusion: In the group which the fibromyalgia complaints continue; scores of numbness, lassitude and somatization were found significantly high. Despite that regular treatment ratio was relatively low and the ratio of follow-through to treatment was higher in the smoker and well educated grou

Massive Alveolar Hemorrhage During Wegener Granulomatosis: a Case Report

This is a presentation of Wegener Granulomatosis (WG) disease. Even though the lungs are rarely affected. massive alveolar hemorrhage is seen which leads to mortality. The patient was a 28 year old man. His illness was diagnosed as WG and glomerulonephritis a year previously and he was treated by administration of methylprednisolone orally. He had been treated irregularly. He applied to the emergency service with hemoptysis and asthma complaints two days earlier. After the results of his examination Hb: 3.6 gr/dl, Htc:10.3%, Üre:131 mg /dl, kreatini: 7.7 mg/dl, pH: 7.41, pO2: 55 mmHg, pCO2:33 mmHg, and being diagnosed as alveolar consolidation on lung X-ray, he was taken to the intensive care unit with a diagnosis of a massive alveolar hemorrhagei. He was intubated and attached to mechanical ventilation. He was treated with parenteral 1 mg/kg/day methylprednisolone and, siklofosfamid 2 mg/kg/day. He was extubated on the 21st day. He was taken to the chest service department on 24th day. He is still being treated

Systemic Nocardia Infection in a Patient with Behcet's Disease

Behcet’s disease is a systemic inflammatory vascular disease with different clinical features. It may be necessary to use high-dose corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive agents during the course of the disease due to different complications. Nocardia is an opportunistic infection with a quite high mortality which is frequently seen in immunocompromised subjects. We want to present a patient who was being followed with the diagnosis of uveitis resistant to therapy and who used long-term, high-dose immunosuppressives; consequently, he died due to systemic Nocardia infection. We diagnosed pulmonary infection, intramuscular abscess in the abdomen and multiple brain abscesses due to Nocardia infection. The patient whose clinical condition deteriorated under therapy died. We think that the disseminated Nocardia infection was related to immunosuppressive therapy rather than Behcet’s disease. In our review of literature, we could not cite any report about disseminated Nocardia infection in a patient with Behcet's disease during this period (Medline 1966-August 2000)

Herpes Simplex Esophagitis in an Immunocompetent Host with Sepsis

Herpes simplex esophagitis is generally seen in immunosuppressive patients; however, it has rarely been encountered in healthy subjects. We diagnosed herpes esophagitis in an immunocompetent patient with acute pyelonephritis-sepsis who developed odynophagia. The patients odynophagia recovered rapidly after parenteral acyclovir therapy. We diagnosed herpes esophagitis based on the typical endoscopic findings and the detection of HSV DNA by PCR in the esophageal biopsy specimen. We think that the predisposing factor for the development of esophagitis in our patient was temporary cellular immune dysfunction secondary to sepsis. We conclude that herpes esophagitis may develop in patients with sepsis without any other predisposing factor

The Impact of Ankylosing Spondylitis in Turkey on Productivity at Work Outside Home and within the Household

[No Abstract Available

The prevalences of some rheumatic diseases in western Turkey: Havsa study

To study the prevalence major rheumatic diseases in western Turkey. This survey was conducted in Havsa which have a total population of 18,771. Physicians and interns visited every household, interviewed face to face a questionnaire about the symptoms of rheumatic disorders. The individuals replied positively to any question were examined at the nearest health center. Those have no objective findings related to any rheumatic diseases were excluded. People could not be clinically diagnosed were asked to come to the hospital for further evaluation. A total 17,835 of 18,771 residents participated. We estimated the prevalence of Beh double dagger et's Disease (BD) as 0.019%; ankylosing spondylitis: 0.120%; rheumatoid arthritis: 0.321%; knee osteoarthritis (OA): 5.351%; hand OA: 1.110%; hand and knee OA: 1.958%; total OA: 8.420%; primary Raynaud's: 1.192%; psoriasis: 0.424 %; psoriatic arthritis: 0.050%; rheumatic fever: 0.318%; rheumatic heart disease: 0.200%; inflammatory bowel disease: 0.023%; lupus: 0.059%; gout: 0.018%; systemic sclerosis: 0.022%; juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: 0.032%; temporal arteritis: 0.020%, and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) as 0.006%. Figures were adjusted for age-sex of the general Turkish population. The prevalence's of BD and FMF are considerably lower in Havsa as compared to other regions in Turkey.Trakya Universit