Rheumatic fever in an urban community

Forty-six children with acute rheumatic fever were admitted to Coronation Hospital, Johannesburg, between April 1981 and December 1984; 4 of them were admitted twice during this period. Their ages ranged from 4.5 years to 12.4 years. Carditis was present in 26 patients, arthritis in 22, chorea in 14, subcutaneous nodules in 3 and erythema marginatum in 2. Three patients died and a further 3 had to undergo emergency valve replacement for intractable cardiac failure. Thirty-five developed rheumatic heart disease; they all had mitral regurgitation. Compliance with prophylaxis was acceptable in only 22 cases.     

Rheumatic dermatoarthropathies

Drs. Black and Fenske have presented a topic that fits in very well with the discussions provided by Dr. Graff concerning overall patient evaluation and the understanding that skin diseases may be external expressions of internal disease. As podiatrists, we are frequently exposed to patients who present with skin conditions secondary to rheumatic diseases or other forms of connective tissue disease. This review, with illustrations, will help us to improve our diagnostic abilities.     

Rheumatic diseases--surgical treatment

Aim : To evaluate epidemiology, prognosis and diagnostics in metastatic bone disease and identify risk factors for failure after operation for pathologic fracture. Patients : The study was based on patients treated for skeletal metastases, myeloma or lymphoma between 1986 and 1998 at the Oncology Service, Department of Orthopedics, Karolinska Hospital and on patients diagnosed with symptomatic skeletal metastases 1989-1994 in the Stockholm Region. Epidemiology : 641 breast cancer patients were diagnosed with symptomatic skeletal metastases 1989-1994. Based upon 1100 new primary breast cancer cases yearly, the overall risk of developing symptomatic skeletal metastases was 10-15%. One out of 5 patients with skeletal metastases required surgical treatment for skeletal complications. Prognosis : The survival rate after surgical treatment for skeletal complications was 0.3 at 1 year and 0.008 at 3 years. Multivariate analysis based on 619 patients showed that complete pathologic fracture and soft tissue metastases were negative prognostic variables for 1-year survival after operation. Solitary skeletal metastasis, breast, prostate, kidney cancer, myeloma, and lymphoma were positive variables. Diagnosis : Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) was assessed in 110 patients for diagnostic accuracy and to which extent information about primary site of the metastatic carcinoma could be gained. There were 80 patients with metastatic carcinoma, 14 with lymphoma, and 16 with myeloma. FNAB offered correct diagnosis in 9 of 10 patients and also provided guidance in the search for the primary lesions. Hence, 27 of 30 myeloma or lymphomas were diagnosed by FNAB and in half of the patients with metastatic carcinoma the site of the primary tumor could be ascertained. For patients with a suspected skeletal metastasis the search for the primary tumor may preferably start with FNAB. Surgical treatment : Risk factors for failure after operation for pathologic fractures were identified in 192 patients treated for 228 metastatic lesions of the long bones. 26 out of 228 procedures (11%) lead to failures necessitating reoperation. Long survival after surgery was the most important risk factor for failure of the reconstruction. Kidney cancer was the primary tumor associated with the highest rate of reoperations. Reoperations were more common in the femur than in the humerus. Reconstructions based on prosthetic as opposed to osteosynthetic devices appeared safer. There was a tendency for a high reoperation rate in hospitals with few treated patients. Conclusion : To decrease the risk of reoperation, it is important to identify patients with a long expected survival. Patients with a good prognosis should be considered for wide resection and reconstruction as applied in primary malignant bone tumors.     

Rheumatic lesions of the carpus

The wrist is frequently involved in rheumatoid arthritis. The areas where the synovial membrane is best developed are the best areas for the development of the pannus as well. Proliferation of the synovial membrane lining the joint capsules leads to loss of ligamentary support of the wrist. This is the basis for further deformation. The direction of the carpal deformation is determined by normal anatomical conditions. Destruction of the elements that are essential for the stabilization of the wrist is responsible for these deformations; these elements are described. The flexor and extensor tendons of the fingers and wrist joint are coated with synovial sheaths. These can also be infiltrated by a synovial pannus or rupture due to abrasion by osteophytes. The dislocation, elongation, or rupture of tendons also leads to deformation. In accordance with our conception of the longitudinal pillars of the carpus we classify the different possible types of rheumatic carpal deformation into three groups: deformities of the ulnar, central, and radial type. Combinations of these various types are also common in the course of the disease and lead to instability and ankylosis. Synovectomy represents the basic treatment for the rheumatic joint. It is initially performed by radiosynovectomy. If there is persistent pain and swelling, an operative synovectomy is required. The following surgical procedures are most frequently combined with synovectomy of the wrist joint: synovectomy of the extensor tendons, resection of the head of the ulna, axial realignment of the wrist joint, and reconstruction of ruptured tendons. The operative technique is described in detail. This operation is also most commonly performed in the advanced stages. This operation produces good functional results that are reliable for a prolonged period of time, so that arthrodesis or arthroplasty can be avoided. Deterioration of the radiological findings, however, is common.