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We report the clinical case of a 54-year-old woman presenting radicular low back pain on the right side of L4 associated to spondylolisthesis on L4-L5, without any notion of trauma or spine surgery. Furthermore this patient is regularly seen for benign rheumatoid polyarthritis complicated by steroid-induced osteoporosis. A preventive treatment was implanted with good results on pain improvement and functional capacities. For pedicle fractures the literature review reports several different etiologies: spontaneous fractures, hereditary fractures or stress-related fractures. There was a discussion on the various treatments available and in this case of spondylolisthesis on pedicle fracture a conservative treatment was implemented similar to the one for isthmic spondylolisthesis. It yielded satisfying results.

Tuberculosis of the craniocervical junction (CCJ) is exceedingly rare but carries a risk of compression of the medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord. Three cases among 63 patients with spinal tuberculosis are reported. Mean age was 51 years (range, 20-69) and mean time to diagnosis was 4.6 months (range, 1-8). Although atlantoaxial dislocation was a consistent feature, none of the patients had neurological deficits. Computed tomography of the CCJ disclosed a suggestive pattern combining osteolysis and an abscess anterior to the spine. The diagnosis was confirmed by microbiological studies in two cases and histology in one. The outcome was favorable after antituberculous therapy, immobilization of the neck, and surgical fusion. Although tuberculosis remains common in developing countries, involvement of the CCJ is rare. Tuberculosis of the CCJ carries a risk of instability and severe neuraxis compression. Consequently, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance.

Background during adulthood, most studies have reported that oral contraceptive (OC) pills had neutral, or possibly beneficial effect on bone health. We proposed this study of pre and post menopausal women assessing BMD, bone biochemical markers and physical performance among OC past users and comparable women who have never use Ocs. Methods A cross-sectional study comparing the bone density, bone biochemical markers (osteocalcin, CTX) and three measures to assess physical performance: timed get-up-and-go test "TGUG", five-times-sit-to-stand test "5 TSTS" and 8-feet speed walk "8 FSW" of users and never users OC. We were recruited 210 women who used OC for at least 2 years with that of 200 nonusers was carried out in pre and postmenopausal women (24-86 years). Results when analysing the whole population, BMD and biochemical markers values were similar for Ocs past users and control subjects. However when analysing the subgroup of premenopausal women, there was a statistically significant difference between users and never-users in osteocalcin (15,5 ± 7 ng/ml vs 21,6 ± 9 ng/ml; p = 0,003) and CTX (0,30 ± 0,1 ng/ml vs 0,41 ± 0,2 ng/ml; p = 0,025). This difference persisted after adjustment for age, BMI, age at menarche and number of pregnancies. In contrast, in post menopausal women, there was no difference in bone biochemical markers between OC users and the control. On the other hand OC past users had a significant greater performance than did the never users group. And when analysing the physical performance tests by quartile OC duration we found a significant negative association between the three tests and the use of OC more than 10 years. Conclusion the funding show no evidence of a significant difference in BMD between Ocs users and never user control groups, a decrease in bone turn over in OC pre menopausal users and a greater physical performances in patients who used OC up than 10 years.

Osteomalacia is still common in Morocco, where the leading causes are nutritional deficiencies followed by intestinal diseases. Osteomalacia rarely occurs as the first manifestation of a renal tubule disorder due to a connective tissue disease such as Sjögren's syndrome. The case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with a five-year history of generalized bone pain, severe weight loss and a waddling gait is reported. She had low levels of serum phosphate (0.74 mmol/L), serum calcium (1.97 mmol/L), and urinary calcium (1.22 mmol/24 h). Serum alkaline phosphatase was 210 IU/L. Roentgenograms showed Looser's zones (right femoral neck, sixth and seventh right ribs). There was bilateral parotid gland enlargement, dryness of the mouth, nose and eyes, and bilateral punctate keratitis. A lip biopsy showed changes corresponding to stage II of the Chisholm and Mason classification. Tests for rheumatoid factor (latex and Waaler-Rose) and antinuclear factor were negative. The alkaline reserve was 18 mmol/L, serum potassium was 3.5 mmol/L, serum chloride was 112 mmol/L and urinary pH was 6.5. A renal biopsy showed tubulointerstitial lesions, lymphoplasmocytic infiltrates and interstitial sclerosis with patchy tubular atrophy. The patient was given bicarbonates, high-dose vitamin D followed by 1-alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (0.3 microgram/d), and calcium (1 g/d). Follow-up was 42 months at the time of this writing. The role of tubular disorders in the genesis of osteomalacia is discussed, and the renal manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome are reviewed.

Neurological manifestations are uncommon in myeloma patients, and subacute polyradiculoneuropathy as the inaugural manifestations of solitary plasmacytoma of bone is exceedingly rare. We report the case of a 52-year-old man who was evaluated for a three-month history of flaccid tetraplegia with a gradually ascending onset and for a deterioration in general health. Electromyography findings were consistent with polyradiculoneuropathy. Laboratory tests showed a moderate amount of a monoclonal IgG-lambda antibody. Findings were normal from a radiographic bone survey and a radionuclide bone scan. Computed tomography of the pelvis disclosed a solitary osteolytic lesion in the right iliac crest, which was found upon biopsy to be a malignant plasmacytoma. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy were given. Subacute or chronic polyradiculoneuropathy as the inaugural manifestation of solitary plasmacytoma is exceedingly rare and should be distinguished from the sensorimotor polyneuropathy produced by plasma cell infiltration in some multiple myeloma patients. The polyradiculoneuropathy of solitary plasmacytoma can be likened to the neuropathies seen in some forms of multiple myeloma (sclerotic myeloma and POEMS syndrome). The pathophysiology of these neuropathies remains obscure. The case reported here suggests that patients with unexplained lasting polyradiculoneuropathy should be investigated for a plasma cell proliferation even if they have no serum monoclonal component. Because plasmacytomas are painless, imaging studies are needed for their diagnosis. The management of the neuropathy consists in treatment of the tumor.

Background During Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) courses, shoulder involvement is common. However, etiologies of shoulder pain in patients with AS remain to be defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ultrasound (US) abnormalities in shoulders of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and to determine predictive factors of ultrasound shoulder enthesitis. Methods 38 patients with AS were included with 38 age and sex-matched healthy controls. All patients fulfilled the modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical and demographical data were recorded. US examination of bilateral shoulders was performed by a musculoskeletal sonographer according to a defined protocol that included imaging of the insertions of supraspinatus, subscapularis and infraspinatus tendons, rotator cuff tendons, subacromial-subdeltoid bursa, acromioclavicular joint, and glenohumeral joint. Results The mean age of patients and controls was 36 years, each group of patients and controls comprised 22 men (57.9%) and 16 women (42.1%). Disease duration was 9.6 ± 7.2 years. Among 38 patients with AS, 21 had coxitis (55%) and 19 had previous or current shoulder pain (50%). AS shoulders presented significantly more ultrasound enthesitis than controls shoulders (43 shoulders (56.6%) versus 8 shoulders (10.5%) respectively). Involvement of rotator cuff tendons was significantly higher in patients with AS compared with control subjects (16/38 (42.1%) versus 6 (15.2%) respectively). However, involvement of gleno-humeral and acromio-clavicular joints was infrequent in both groups. In patients with AS, we found that the presence of coxitis was the only significant predictive factors of shoulder enthesitis (Odds Ratio (OR) = 9.4; Confidence interval (CI) 95% (1.10; 81.9), p = 0.04). Conclusions Ultrasound abnormalities of shoulders are common in patients with AS, and the most frequent abnormalitie was enthesitis, which was associated with the presence of coxitis.

Behçet's disease is a systemic vasculitis which rarely occurs in childhood. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcome of Behçet's disease in Moroccan children.A retrospective study of 13 cases of children, 10 males and 3 females with Behçet's disease followed up between 1990 and 1998. The diagnosis of Behçet's disease was based on the criteria of the international study group for Behçet's disease. All patients were studied by a complete clinical, ophthalmological and laboratory staging and treated with appropriate therapy.The mean age at diagnosis of Behçet's disease was 13.9 years. Familial forms were found in 30.7% of cases. Oral aphtae were noted in all cases while genital ulcers were present in 76% of cases. Cutaneous lesions were found in only 1 case and 53.8% of children had a pathergy test. Articular involvement was found in 30.7%, neurological features in 46% and vascular manifestations in 38.4%. Only one case of intestinal involvement was noted. Ocular features (76%) were bilateral in all cases and were dominated by panuveitis complicated by macular edema ant retinal vasculitis.Behçet's disease seems to have particular characteristics in childhood. Familial forms, articular and digestive manifestations appear to be more frequent in early stages of Behçet's disease in children. Neurological and vascular involvement with panuveitis seems more frequent in the older children.

Background Some studies have implicated several possible metabolic linkages between osteoporosis and vascular calcification, including estrogen deficiency, vitamin D excess, vitamin K deficiency and lipid oxidation products. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether osteoporosis and atherosclerosis are related to each other or are independent processes, both related to aging. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the correlation between arterial thickening and bone status in a sample of apparently healthy Moroccan women. Methods Seventy-two postmenopausal women were studied. All patients were without secondary causes that might affect bone density. Bone status was assessed by bone mineral density (BMD) in lumbar spine and all femoral sites. Arterial wall thickening was assessed by intima-media thickness (IMT) in carotid artery (CA) and femoral artery (FA). Prevalent plaques were categorized into four groups ranging from low echogenicity to high echogenicity. Results The mean age was 59.2 ± 8.3 years. 84.7% had at least one plaque. By Spearman Rank correlation, CA IMT was negatively correlated to Femoral total BMD (r = -0.33), Femoral neck BMD (r = -0.23), Ward triangle BMD (r = -0.30) and Trochanter BMD (r = -0.28) while there was no association with lumbar BMD. In multiple regression analysis, CA IMT emerged as an independent factor significantly associated with all femoral sites BMD after adjusting of confounding factors. FA IMT failed to be significantly associated with both Femoral and Lumbar BMD. No significant differences between echogenic, predominantly echogenic, predominantly echolucent and echolucent plaques groups were found concerning lumbar BMD and all femoral sites BMD Conclusion Our results demonstrate a negative correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) qnd carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in postmenopausal women, independently of confounding factors. We suggest that bone status should be evaluated in patients with vascular disease to assess whether preventive or therapeutic intervention is necessarry.

The authors compared demographic and clinical data in patients with spondylarthropathy residing in Morocco or in France and searched for factors associated with increased disease severity, with special attention to course of the disease, life style, clinical findings and roentgenographic changes. They carried out univariate analyses (chi-square test, Student's t test) to look for factors associated with hip involvement. Evaluation of the relative risk associated with each factor by determination of the odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups concerning socioeconomic status and disease characteristics. Patients seen in Morocco had more severe disease, with roentgenographic hip involvement in 48% of cases versus only 16% of patients seen in France (p0.0001). Several factors were associated with the presence of hip disease, including residence in Morocco, Maghrebine ethnic origin, patient characteristics (male sex, low body mass index), disease characteristics (high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, young age at onset), and environmental factors (no running water in the home). Patients with spondylarthropathy residing in Morocco had more severe disease than their counterparts living in France; both genetic and environmental factors may explain this difference.

A 70-year-old woman with a history of medial femoro-tibial compartment of knee osteoarthritis was admitted for acute arthritis six days after a second intra-articular injection of Hyaluronic acid. The joint fluid was inflammatory, with no crystals, and laboratory tests showed marked inflammation leading to antibiotic treatment for suspected septic arthritis. The persistent symptoms and negative results of joint fluid and blood cultures led to discontinuation of the antibiotic therapy after 10 days. Anti-inflammatory with rehabilitation therapy of the knee relieved the symptoms, and the patient was discharged home 3 weeks after her admission. Aseptic arthritis induced by repeated Hyaluronic acid injection is the most likely diagnosis. Physicians should be conscious of this extremely severe complication.Pan African Medical Journal 2012; 12:44

The first case of chronic cardiac toxicity due to an antimalarial agent was reported in 1971 and since then several cases of heart failure, restrictive cardiomyopathy or atrioventricular block have been ascribed to this family of drugs. We report the case of a 43-year-old woman who developed juvenile chronic arthritis at the age of ten, followed in adulthood by sero-positive rheumatoid arthritis. In 1980 she was put under chloroquine sulfate (hydroxychloroquine was not available) in a dose of 200 mg/d (152.66 mg of chloroquine), with 10 mg/day of prednisone. She developed myalgia and increased skin pigmentation, but disregarded recommendations that these symptoms required discontinuation of chloroquine therapy. She was lost to follow-up, but continued the chloroquine therapy of her own accord. In December 1993, she developed a third-degree atrioventricular block with syncopes requiring implantation of a pacemaker. The rare but well-documented myopathy induced by antimalarial agents can produce early severe lesions of the cardiac muscle, which may have a predilection for the interventricular septum, explaining the risk of atrioventricular block. Although histologic studies were not performed in our patient, the clinical evidence of toxicity, absence of underlying heart disease and fairly young age of the patient pointed to chloroquine toxicity. Periodic cardiac investigations including electrocardiography may be warranted in patients under antimalarial therapy.

Background Clinical disease activity index (CDAI) and simplified disease activity index (SDAI) are useful tools for the evaluation of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but have not been comparatively validated in Moroccan population. Therefore, this study was designed to assess validity and reliability of CDAI and SDAI in comparison to disease activity score-28 joints (DAS-28) in Moroccan patients with RA. Methods Patients with RA were included in a cross-sectional study. Patient characteristics and RA were collected. The disease activity was assessed by DAS-28, CDAI and SDAI. Patients were splitted into groups of remission, low, moderate and high activity on the basis of predefined cut-offs for DAS-28, CDAI, and SDAI. A Spearman correlation between composite indexes and inter-group comparison of the indexes were performed. Using DAS-28 as a gold standard, the Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the performance of a screening test at different levels. Results The study was conducted with 103 patients of female predominance (87.4 %). Mean age was 49.7 ± 11.4 years. Median disease duration was in the order of 8 years [3-14]. There was an excellent correlation between DAS-28 and CDAI (r = 0.95, p

Background Several factors, in addition to low bone mineral density (BMD), have been identified as risks for fractures, including reduced levels of physical activity, poor balance and low physical performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between physical performance measures, BMD, falls, and the risk of peripheral fracture in a population sample of Moroccan women. Methods 484 healthy women were included. Three measures were used to assess physical performance: timed get-up-and-go test 'TGUGT', five-times-sit-to-stand test '5 TSTS' and 8-feet timed walk '8 FTW'. The association between physical performance measures and BMD, peripheral fracture and falls was performed by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results The mean age was 55.1 years. Higher 'TGUGT', '5 TSTS', '8 FTW' test scores were associated with lower BMD measured at different sites (p range from < 0.001 to 0.005). The relationship between the three tests and BMD in all measured sites remained significant after multiple linear regression (p range from 14.2 sec, a score of '5 TSTS' > 12.9 sec and a score of '8 FTW' > 4.6 sec respectively, increased the probability of anterior peripheral fracture by 2.7, 2.2 and 2.3 (OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.2–6.4, OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.1–5.2; and OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.1–5.1). There was a significant positive correlation between the number of fall/year and the 3 tests. This correlation persisted after poisson regression. Conclusion This study suggested that low physical performance is associated with low BMD, and a high risk of history of falls and fractures.

Objective To evaluate the smallest detectable difference (SDD) of symptomatic outcome or process variables in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients from various countries. Methods Thirty consecutive AS patients with axial involvement were recruited from 1 center in each of 4 countries (Spain, Morocco, France, The Netherlands), for a total of 120 patients. Fourteen variables were studied in 6 domains: pain (3 variables), stiffness (1 variable), function (2 variables), spinal mobility (3 variables), patient global assessment (4 variables), and the domain of enthesiopathy (1 variable). All patients were evaluated twice within a 1-week period during which no clinical or therapeutic change occurred. Intracenter reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The SDD was determined using the Bland-Altman method. Results Of the 14 variables evaluated in the 120 patients (82% males, 42 ± 12 years old, with a mean disease duration of 17 ± 13 years), only the SDD for the variable occiput-to-wall distance showed statistically significant difference among centers. For the entire group, the SDD, expressed as percentage of the range of the variable, varied from 10% (Mander enthesis index) to 39% (spinal pain at night last week). The intraobserver reliability was good (ICC > 0.80) except for the variables morning stiffness and modified Schober test (ICCs of 0.76 and 0.60, respectively). Conclusion This study suggests that the evaluation of AS patients is homogenous and reliable in different centers of different European and North African countries. Evaluation of the SDD of the symptomatic outcome or process variables is a starting point to determine the minimum clinically important difference, permitting the presentation of results of clinical studies on an individual basis.

To determine whether juvenile onset of spondylarthropathy is associated with specific features, a prospective, cross-sectional study comparing juvenile-onset and adult-onset spondylarthropathies was conducted in the Maghreb in 523 patients meeting Amor's criteria or the ESSG's criteria for spondylarthropathy. Demographic data and clinical findings at the time of inclusion and during the first two years of the disease were compared in the 437 patients with onset at 16 years of age or older and in the 86 patients with onset before 16 years of age using a Student's t test or a chi-square test. The risk of hip involvement during the course of the disease was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared in the two groups using a Cox model. Early in the disease, patients in the juvenile onset group were more likely to have peripheral arthritis (52% vs 39%, p = 0.021) and enthesopathies (55% vs 40%, p = 0.002) and less likely to have axial manifestations (41% vs 62%, p = 0.0001), as compared with the adult-onset group. These differences persisted after a follow-up of 9.2 years. Juvenile-onset disease was associated with a greater likelihood of hip involvement (54 +/- 6% vs 34 +/- 3% after ten years, p = 0.012). The male bias was more marked in the juvenile onset group (85%) than in the adult-onset group (72%) (p = 0.016). These data confirm that demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and disease severity differ between juvenile-onset and adult-onset spondylarthropathies.

Rigid spine syndrome is characterized by massive spinal rigidity, usually most marked in the cervical region. Stiffness of the peripheral joints is sometimes present. We report two cases. Patient 1 was a 12-year-old boy diagnosed at three years of age with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy because of delayed onset of walking. Contracture of the Achilles tendons, flexion contracture of the elbows, and loss of motion of the cervical spine were the main findings during the current evaluation. Radiographs of the affected joints were normal. An electrocardiogram showed an incomplete left bundle branch block. Muscle enzyme activities were moderately elevated. A myopathic pattern was seen on the electromyogram. A muscle biopsy showed muscle fiber atrophy with peri- and endomysial fibrosis. Patient 2 was a 39-year-old man with a five-year history of isolated rigidity of the cervical spine thought to be due to a spondylarthropathy. Extension was the only movement possible at the cervical spine. The peripheral joints showed no motion range limitation. Findings were normal from radiographs of the spine and sacroiliac joints, an erythrocyte sedimentation rate determination, an electromyogram, and muscle enzyme activity assays. A muscle biopsy showed muscle fiber atrophy with peri- and endomysial fibrosis.Rigid spine syndrome is rare in rheumatological practice and can simulate a number of other muscle and joint diseases. Peri- and endomysial fibrosis may be strongly suggestive, although nonpathognomonic. Involvement of the heart governs the prognosis.

Background Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of classical cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, obesity, glucose intolerance, and dyslipidemia is highly prevalent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MS) in RA patients, and to evaluate the relationships between metabolic syndrome and RA. Methods The study was conducted on 120 RA patients according to the 1987 revised American College of Rheumatology classification criteria, and 100 age and sex matched apparently healthy controls. The frequency of metabolic syndrome was assessed using six Metabolic Syndrome definitions (Joint Consensus 2009, National Cholesterol Education Programme 2004 and 2001, International Diabetes Federation, World Health Organisation and European Group for Study of Insulin Resistance). Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of metabolic Syndrome. Results The frequency of metabolic syndrome varied from 18 to 48.6% in RA according to the definition used and was significantly higher than controls (for all definitions pp = 0.03). Glucocorticoid use, but not other disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), values remained significant independent predictors of the presence of metabolic syndrome in RA patients (OR = 1.45; CI: 1.12–2.14; p = 0.04). Conclusions In summary, the frequency of metabolic syndrome in RA varies according to the definition used and was significantly higher compared to controls (for all definitions p

The authors report 2 cases of ankylosing spondylitis complicated by amyloidosis. In the first case, the development of a nephrotic syndrome in a long-standing case of spondylitis (16 years) led to discovery of the amyloid. In the second case, a nephrotic syndrome appeared in a 38 year old man with a three year history of ankylosing spondylitis. In both cases, the amyloidosis was confirmed on histological examination.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T18:56:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-12-01 Objective: To investigate whether body mass index (BMI), as a proxy for body fat, influences rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity in a gender-specific manner. Methods: Consecutive patients with RA were enrolled from 25 countries into the QUEST-RA program between 2005 and 2008. Clinical and demographic data were collected by treating rheumatologists and by patient self-report. Distributions of Disease Activity Scores (DAS28), BMI, age, and disease duration were assessed for each country and for the entire dataset; mean values between genders were compared using Student's t-tests. An association between BMI and DAS28 was investigated using linear regression, adjusting for age, disease duration and country. Results: A total of 5,161 RA patients (4,082 women and 1,079 men) were included in the analyses. Overall, women were younger, had longer disease duration, and higher DAS28 scores than men, but BMI was similar between genders. The mean DAS28 scores increased with increasing BMI from normal to overweight and obese, among women, whereas the opposite trend was observed among men. Regression results showed BMI (continuous or categorical) to be associated with DAS28. Compared to the normal BMI range, being obese was associated with a larger difference in mean DAS28 (0.23, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.34) than being overweight (0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.21); being underweight was not associated with disease activity. These associations were more pronounced among women, and were not explained by any single component of the DAS28. Conclusion: BMI appears to be associated with RA disease activity in women, but not in men. © Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2010. University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza Universidade Estadual de São Paulo, São Paulo Hospital Universitário de Brasília, Brasilia University of Ioannina Ioannina Waterford Regional Hospital, Waterford Connolly Hospital, Dublin University of Genova, Genova Rheumatology Department, Pristine Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine Vilnius University, Vilnius University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht Jyväskylä Central Hospital, Jyväskylä Medcare Oy, Äänekoski Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA Hospital San Juan Bautista, Catamarca Hospital of Cordoba, Cordoba Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro Riverside Professional Centre, Sydney, NS Copenhagen University Hospital at Hvidovre, Hvidovre King Christian the Xth Hospital, Gråsten Copenhagen University Hospital at Herlev, Herlev Al-Azhar University, Cairo Assiut University Hospital, Assiut Abo Sohage University Hospital, Sohage Tartu University Hospital, Tartu East-Tallinn Central Hospital, Tallinn Centre for Clinical and Basic Research, Tallinn Satakunta Central Hospital, Rauma University René Descartes Hôpital Cochin, Paris Dijon University Hospital University of Burgundy INSERM U887, Dijon Hôpital Lapeyronie, Montpellier Hôpital Hautepierre, Strasbourg School of Medicine National University of Athens, Athens Euroclinic Hospital, Athens Evangelisches Fachkrankenhaus, Ratingen Schlosspark-Klinik, Berlin University Medicine Berlin, Berlin Semmelweis University of Medical Sciences, Budapest Ilona Újfalussy Polyclinic of the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God in Budapest, Budapest St. Vincent University Hospital, Dublin Our Lady's Hospice, Dublin Department of Immunology, Lucknow Vedanta Institiute of Medical Sciences, Ahmedabad Department of Immunology Jaipur Hospital Santa Chiara Hospital, Pisa Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome University of Ancona, Ancona Institute of Rheumatology Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo Department of Rheumatology Kyoto First Red Cross Hospital, Kyoto Shono Rheumatism Clinic, Fukuoka Kenyatta Hospital, Nairobi Pauls Stradina Clinical University Hospital, Riga Kaunas University Hospital, Kaunas El Ayachi Hospital Mohamed Vth Souissi University, Rabat Sint Franciscus Gasthuis Hospital, Rotterdam Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand Medical University in Bialystok, Bialystok Medical University of Lublin, Lublin Poznan Rheumatology Centre in Srem, Srem Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw Silesian Hospital for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in Ustron Slaski, Ustroñ Slaski Szpital Wojewodzki im. Jana Biziela, Bydgoszcz Wojewodzki Zespol Reumatologiczny im. dr Jadwigi Titz-Kosko, Sopot Spitalul Clinic Sf Maria, Bucharest Institute of Rheumatology of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow Moscow Medical Academy, Moscow Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Moscow Rheumatology Institut, Niska Banja Hospital de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrin, Las Palmas Hospital Sierrallana Ganzo, Torrelavega Hospital General de Castellón, Castellón Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala Centrallasarettet, Västerås Hudiksvall Medical Clinic, Hudiksvall Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara Meram Medical Faculty, Konya Cerrahpasa Medic Faculty, Istanbul Dubai Bone and Joint Centre, Dubai American Hospital Dubai, Dubai Charing Cross Hospital, London Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro Kings College Hospital, London Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY Taylor Hospital, Ridley Park, PA Centra Care Clinic, St. Cloud, MN University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY Universidade Estadual de São Paulo, São Paulo