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Background and Objective: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most frequent systemic vasculitis in adults. In recent years, the usefulness of temporal artery ultrasound (TAUS) as a diagnostic tool to assess the underlying inflammation of the vascular wall during the inflammatory process has been under clinical investigation., Material and Methods: Observational and descriptive cohort study of 120 TAUS in 60 patients with clinical suspicions of GCA, according to the ACR (American College of Rheumatology) classification criteria., Results: Among all patients who underwent ultrasound, 42.3% met clinical criteria for GCA according to ACR. Sensitivity and specificity of TAUS in our cohort with clinical suspicion was 81.8% and 93.3%, respectively. A PPV of 90.1% and a VPN of 87.5% were observed., Conclusion: Our results showed that TAUS as a useful, indolent, fast, and accessible tool with high diagnostic specificity and diagnostic value., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Background and Objective: To assess the effect of the application in routine clinical practice of a proposal of thresholds for the indication of bone densitometry in Spanish postmenopausal women., Patients and Methods: We determined the risk of major fracture (RMF) by FRAX(®) of the patients referred to a bone densitometry unit from Primary Care who were untreated. We calculated how many scans would have been avoided if they had been performed only to women ≥ 65 years with a RMF < 10% or women<65 years with a RMF ≥ 3.6%., Results: We included 643 women with a mean age of 61 (9) years. Twenty-three percent had a normal bone mineral density, 56% had osteopenia, and 21% osteoporosis. The RMF was 5.9 (5.5)%. Eighty of 217 (37%) bone scans in women ≥ 65 years and 273 of 426 (64%) in women<65 years would have been avoided. As a whole, 55% of the scans would have been avoided. The sensitivity of the threshold of 3.6% of RMF for the diagnosis of osteoporosis was 51%, specificity 68%, positive predictive value 20%, and negative predictive value 20%., Conclusions: The application of the proposed thresholds for the indication of bone densitometry in Spanish postmenopausal women, based on age and risk of fracture calculated by FRAX(®) would result in a significant decrease of the activity of the bone densitometry unit., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: To estimate the fracture risk with the FRAX in patients treated and not treated in clinical practice., Material and Methods: From a database of risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture, that included absorptiometry measurements, we selected all patients who met the following criteria: 1) Age between 40 and 90 years, 2) to have the weight and size, 3) To have the first study by DXA scan after September 2005, 4) To know the therapeutic intervention made after bone densitometry, and 5) Not have done any treatment before the first densitometry. The calculation of the fracture risk was achieved with the application available on the Web during June 2008., Results: One hundred and ninety two people (45 men) were included, 81 of which received treatment after densitometry. Treated patients had more risk factors (1,06 + or - 0,97 [IC 95% 0,88-1,24] vs. 1,49 + or - 1,03 [IC 95% 1,27-1,71], p=0,003). Fracture risk was higher in treated patients in all groups (major osteoporotic fracture and hip fracture, with and without bone absorptiometry). In all cases, fracture risk was lower when using the densitometric value. In patients younger than 65 years, the fracture risk was significantly lower than in patients over 64 years in all cases., Conclusions: The risk of fracture measured by the FRAX is higher in patients receiving treatment, although there is a significant overlap between the two groups., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: The study is aimed at improving our knowledge about the functional impairment of the psoriatic arthritis through a multicentral series., Patients and Method: We have designed a transversal and multicentral study (centers of the same geographical area), including 343 patients with psoriatic arthritis. Eight medical centers have participated. Patients have been divided depending on the assistential level where they are visited. We have collected the following data: sex, age, assistential level, duration of psoriasis and arthritis, age at onset of psoriasis and arthritis, clinical form, ARA functional impairment, number of tender and swollen joints, presence of dactylitis, distal interphalangeal affection, axial involvement, ostheolisis or nail lesions, erithrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein, hemoglobine, leucocites, platelets, HLA-B27 and rheumatoid factor., Results: 7.14% of the patients were significatly disabled (ARA functional class III and IV). 30.32% were patients visited in a primary assistential level, 30.90% in a secondary assistential level and 38.78% a tertiary and universitary hospital. We found statistically significant correlation between III and IV functional classes and age, assistential level, ostheolisis, corticoid treatment, ESR, leucocites, platelets and number of tender joints., Conclusions: We find a better functional capacity in our patients than in other studies. The inclusion of patients from different assistential levels instead of just patients visited in a tertiary hospital might be the cause of this difference.