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Biomedical subjects

Susana Roverano

Publications and source records attributed to Susana Roverano.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Pachydermodactyly: four additional cases.

Pachydermodactyly (PDD) is a rare, benign form of digital fibromatosis characterized by an asymptomatic soft tissue swelling affecting the skin of the lateral aspects of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers, and it sometimes can be misdiagnosed with some rheumatic condition. Recognition on these features should lead to its more frequent diagnosis. The purpose of our study is to report four additional cases of PDD and discuss the differential diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

Asymptomatic sensorineural hearing loss in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Hearing loss can accompany systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) in patients with SLE. METHODS: Thirty-one unselected consecutive female patients with SLE (American College of Rheumatology criteria, 1982) were evaluated (in a prospective and descriptive study) for evidence of hearing abnormalities. Twenty-five healthy age-matched women served as controls. All patients and control groups underwent both a normal tympanoscopy and an audiometric testing as a prerequisite to be included in the study. RESULTS: Patients with SLE had a mean age of 35 years (range, 19-64 years) and the follow-up time (median) was 48 months (range, 4-180 months). One of 31 patients was excluded because of middle ear infectious disease. Of the remaining 30 patients, 21 (70%) had impaired hearing; 20 (66%) had sensorineural loss at high frequencies in a bilateral and symmetric way, and one had conductive alteration. Ten patients had normal audiometric studies. Four women in the control group had alterations of the audiometric tests: 3 patients had conductive alteration and the other one had bilateral ASNHL. No statistically significant correlation was found among the presence of ASNHL, the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies, and the treatment with hydroxychloroquine. Also, no correlation was observed between impaired hearing and SLE activity. CONCLUSION: If it can be established how often this ASNHL progresses to a clinical problem, it can be important that, as part of initial studies, patients with SLE undergo audiometric tests.

Adult↗

Cytidine deaminase in polymyalgia rheumatica and elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis.

Serum cytidine deaminase (CD) as a marker of inflammatory disease was assessed in 44 patients and 47 controls to differentiate polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) from elderly onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA). The patients were divided into four groups: PMR with and without synovitis and seropositive and seronegative EORA. No statistically significant differences were found when serum CD levels of seropositive EORA patients were compared with serum CD of PMR patients without synovitis, neither when serum CD levels of all PMR patients were compared with a seronegative EORA group, nor when serum CD levels of PMR patients with synovitis were compared with those with EORA. Nevertheless, statistically significant differences were detected between EORA's serum CD levels and the control group (p=0.023). This difference was 10% when comparing CD levels of PMR patients with the control group (p=0.070). We did not demonstrate that serum CD levels could be a useful tool to differentiate PMR from EORA, but these findings could nevertheless reflect the presence of an inflammatory disease.

Aged↗

Erythromelalgia with subsequent digital necrosis, glomerulonephritis, and antiphospholipid antibodies.

Erythromelalgia is a condition of extremities characterized by redness, increased temperature, and burning pain. We describe the first reported case of erythromelalgia in a young woman with digital necrosis and mesangial nephritis associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. The symptoms and necrosis completely resolved with treatment with corticosteroids. We discuss the differential diagnosis of this entity and highlight the importance of a follow up of these patients, because erythromelalgia may precede a myeloproliferative disorder or systemic lupus erythematosus by months or years.

Adolescent↗

Widespread cutaneous necrosis associated with antiphospholipid antibodies: report of four cases.

We describe four patients with widespread cutaneous necrosis as a manifestation of the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. In three of the patients, the lesions were the first manifestation of the syndrome, and they were located in upper and lower extremities. Vascular thrombosis was present in the skin biopsy in all of the patients. Patients were effectively treated with anticoagulants, and healing occurred within 60 days. Such widespread cutaneous necrosis is a rare manifestation of the syndrome, and it must be regarded as major thrombotic event. Long-term treatment with anticoagulants must be considered. The recognition of these lesions is important, because they may be the onset of the syndrome, allowing its early diagnosis and treatment.

Journal Article↗