Synovial plicae are persistent embryological folds present in normal knee joints. Plicae may become pathological and give rise to symptoms. Two brothers with pathological medial plicae are described in whom the condition was mistaken for arthritis. The role of arthroscopy in diagnosis and treatment is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The eosinophilic fasciitis syndrome after phenytoin (dilantin) therapy.

A young woman with idiopathic temporal lobe epilepsy developed biopsy-proven oesinophilic fasciitis 16 months after the initiation of phenytoin therapy. Six months after withdrawal of this medication the fasciitis disappeared, and after 5 yr it has not recurred. This case highlights a possible association between the development of oesinophilic fasciitis and the use of medications such as phenytoin.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Patient compliance with tenoxicam in family practice.

This study evaluated factors that may influence patient compliance and also confirmed tolerability and efficacy of tenoxicam in routine clinical practice. Compliance in 1809 patients was evaluated over a 4-week period by physician pill-counts, patient assessment cards, and, for a subpopulation, by electronically monitored pill vials. In addition, physicians documented patient improvement and side effects after 2 weeks and after 4 weeks of therapy; patients reported satisfaction with therapy and side effects on a weekly basis. A total of 399 physicians provided data on 1809 patients, of whom 84.3% had osteoarthritis, 12.6% had rheumatoid arthritis, and 3.2% had ankylosing spondylitis. The typical patient was a woman (64.9%), white (91.2%), in her 50s (mean age, 57.9 years), with a duration of osteoarthritis of at least 1 year (72.3%). High and similar compliance rates were achieved by patients regardless of age, gender, or diagnostic category. Patient and disease characteristics were similar between compliant and noncompliant patients. Most patients (81.1%) experienced improvement of symptoms after 4 weeks of treatment. A low incidence of side effects (12.6%) was reported, with no significant differences observed among patients with respect to age, gender, or diagnostic category. Product characteristics, such as tolerability, efficacy, and dosing regimen, are more significant factors of compliance than patient or disease characteristics. Tenoxicam's tolerability and clinical effectiveness were confirmed in patients with arthritis in routine clinical practice settings.

Adolescent↗