Osteo-articular manifestations of amyloidosis
Whether it is overload disease or mispleated proteins, amyloid is a great pretender. This is especially true for all of the osteo-articular manifestations of amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis, which…
Eosinophilic fasciitis (Shulman disease)
The eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare connective tissue disease characterized by symmetrical and painful swelling with a progressive induration and thickening of the skin and soft tissues. The diagnosis…
Retroperitoneal fibrosis
Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare syndrome hallmarked by a fibrosclerotic tissue in the retroperitoneum, often leading to encasement of the ureters. About two-thirds of cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis are idiopathic,…
IgG4-related diseases
Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a fascinating condition recognised as a systemic disease in 2003 . The first link between autoimmunity affecting the pancreas, elevated serum IgG4 concentrations and…
A variety of diseases with a common trunk
This issue of ‘Clinical Rheumatology’ is devoted to a group of diseases that are individually different; however, they share several facts in common ( Table 1 ). Table 1 Common…
Improving work participation for adults with musculoskeletal conditions
The impact of musculoskeletal disorders on work is demanding more attention from clinicians. For many rheumatologists, inflammatory arthritis is the most frequently encountered condition that interferes with work. However, the…
Cost of rheumatic disorders in the Netherlands
Rheumatic disorders concern a broad spectrum of painful disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system, and are responsible for a considerable amount of disease burden and also a substantial economic burden. This…
The issue of comparators in economic evaluations of biologic response modifiers in rheumatoid arthritis
Introduction Over the last decade, a number of biologic response modifiers (BRMs) have emerged and transformed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. Due to their relatively high costs, economic evaluations have attempted…
Impact of socioeconomic gradients within and between countries on health of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA): Lessons from QUEST RA
In this chapter, we discuss challenges in collecting data on outcomes of patients who receive usual rheumatology care. We present results of the multinational Quantitative Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid…
The economic burden of systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by variable and unpredictable manifestations that can severely affect a person’s physical and mental well-being, social life and ability to…
