Search

Your search keyword '"Maria Letizia Aprile"' showing total 4 results
Start Over Author "Maria Letizia Aprile"
4 results on '"Maria Letizia Aprile"'

1. Use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography in patients affected by polymyalgia rheumatica and persistent increase of acute phase reactants

Author

Michele Colaci, Jessika Dichiara, Maria Letizia Aprile, Massimo Ippolito, Claudia Schinocca, Giuliana Guggino, and Lorenzo Malatino

Subjects
polymyalgia rheumatica, PET, giant cell arteritis, arthritis, inflammation, Medicine (General), R5-920
Abstract

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disease affecting older adults characterized by aching pain and morning stiffness of the shoulder and pelvic girdles. Moreover, PMR can be associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Generally, PMR is highly responsive to steroids, reaching complete remission in the majority of cases. However, the possibility of occult diseases, including extra-cranial GCA, should be excluded. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) is able to detect the presence of peri-/articular or vascular inflammation, which may be both present in PMR, thus representing a useful diagnostic tool, mainly in presence of extra-cranial GCA. We retrospectively evaluated all consecutive patients who received the diagnosis of PMR in our rheumatology clinic, classified according to the 2012 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) criteria, in the period between April 2020 and May 2022. Among this case series, we selected the patients who underwent 18F-FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) because of the persistent increase of acute phase reactants (APR) besides the steroid therapy. Eighty patients were diagnosed with PMR. Nine out of them also presented arthritis of the wrists during the follow-up, whereas none showed signs of cranial GCA at the diagnosis. Seventeen out of eighty subjects (mean age 71.5 ± 7.5 years; M/F 2/15) presented persistent increase of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mean ESR 44.2 ± 20.8 mm/h) and/or C-reactive protein (mean CRP 25.1 ± 17 mg/l), thus they underwent total body 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Large vessel 18F-FDG uptake indicating an occult GCA was found in 5/17 (29.4%) cases. Twelve out of seventeen (70.6%) patients showed persistence of peri-/articular inflammation, suggesting a scarce control of PMR or the presence of chronic arthritis. Finally, in 2 cases, other inflammatory disorders were found, namely an acute thyroiditis and a hip prosthesis occult infection. 18F-FDG-PET/CT in PMR patients with persistent increase of APR is a useful diagnostic technique in order to detect occult GCA, persistence of active PMR or other misdiagnosed inflammatory diseases.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. Systemic Sclerosis and Idiopathic Portal Hypertension: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

Author

Michele Colaci, Maria Letizia Aprile, Domenico Sambataro, Gianluca Sambataro, and Lorenzo Malatino

Subjects
systemic sclerosis, scleroderma, idiopathic portal hypertension, Science
Abstract

The presence of liver involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is considered atypical, besides the possible coexistence of other autoimmune hepatic disorders. However, the occurrence of portal hypertension and, more specifically, of the syndromes called idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) and regenerative nodular hyperplasia (RNH) have been anecdotally reported in the literature for SSc patients. We described a case of SSc woman complicated by IPH; moreover, we reviewed the literature on the topic. A 61-year-old female SSc patient was admitted to our hospital because of the onset of ascites. SSc, as a limited skin subset of disease with anticentromere antibodies, was diagnosed 11 years previously, with no significant visceral involvement. We excluded possible causes of portal hypertension, namely chronic infections, autoimmune hepatic diseases, neoplasia, thrombosis of portal vein, and Budd–Chiari syndrome. Finally, IPH was diagnosed. A review of the literature identified a number of case reports or case series that described IPH in the course of SSc. No specific SSc pattern linked to IPH emerged, even though reports from the literature often described the limited skin subset. Coexistence of prothrombotic states and overlap with other hepatic diseases could facilitate IPH onset. Besides being a rare condition, the onset of IPH in SSc patients is an occurrence that should be taken into account.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

3. The Impaired Elasticity of Large Arteries in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

Author

Michele Colaci, Luca Zanoli, Alberto Lo Gullo, Domenico Sambataro, Gianluca Sambataro, Maria Letizia Aprile, Pietro Castellino, and Lorenzo Malatino

Subjects
Young’s elastic modulus, arterial stiffness, integumentary system, systemic sclerosis, pulse wave velocity, carotid strain, cardiovascular system, scleroderma, General Medicine, skin and connective tissue diseases, carotid distensibility, carotid compliance
Abstract

(1) Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by endothelial dysfunction and fibrosis of skin and visceral organs. In the last decade, attention has been focused on the macrovascular involvement of the disease. In particular, the observation of increased arterial stiffness represented an interesting aspect of the disease, as predictor of cardiovascular risk. (2) Methods: We recruited 60 SSc patients (52 ± 12 years old, 90% females) and 150 age/sex-matched healthy controls in order to evaluate both intima-media thickness of the right common carotid artery and arterial stiffness using the B-mode echography and the SphygmoCor system® tonometer. (3) Results: The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was higher in SSc patients than in controls (8.6 ± 1.7 vs. 7.8 ± 1.5 m/s; p < 0.001), as was the carotid-radial PWV (7.8 ± 1.1 vs. 6.7 ± 1.4 m/s; p < 0.001). The intima-media thickness was higher in SSc than in controls (654 ± 108 vs. 602 ± 118 µm; p = 0.004). The other parameters measured at carotid (radial strain, Young’s modulus, compliance and distensibility) all indicated that arterial stiffness in tension was more pronounced in SSc. Of interest, the direct correlation between PWV and age corresponded closely in SSc. Moreover, a significant difference between SSc and controls as regards the carotid parameters was evident in younger subjects. (4) Conclusions: SSc patients showed an increased arterial stiffness compared to healthy controls. In particular, an SSc-related pathologic effect was suggested by the more pronounced increase in PWV with age and lower values of carotid elasticity in younger SSc patients than in age-matched controls.

Published
2022

4. Prevalence and death rate of COVID-19 in systemic autoimmune diseases in the first three pandemic waves. Relationship to disease subgroups and ongoing therapies

Author

Clodoveo Ferri 1 2, Vincenzo Raimondo 2, Laura Gragnani 3, Dilia Giuggioli 1, Lorenzo Dagna 4, Antonio Tavoni 5, Francesco Ursini 6, Massimo L'Andolina 7, Francesco Caso 8, Piero Ruscitti 9, Maurizio Caminiti 10, Rosario Foti 11, Valeria Riccieri 12, Serena Guiducci 13, Roberta Pellegrini 14, Elisabetta Zanatta 15, Giuseppe Varcasia 16, Domenico Olivo 17, Pietro Gigliotti 18, Giovanna Cuomo, Giuseppe Murdaca 20, Riccardo Cecchetti 21, Rossella De Angelis 22, Nicoletta Romeo 23, Francesca Ingegnoli 24, Franco Cozzi 25, Veronica Codullo 26, Ilaria Cavazzana 27, Michele Colaci 28, Giuseppina Abignano 29, Maria De Santis 30, Ennio Lubrano 31, Enrico Fusaro 32, Amelia Spinella 1, Federica Lumetti 1, Giacomo De Luca 4, Silvia Bellando-Randone 13, Elisa Visalli 11, Ylenia Dal Bosco 11, Giorgio Amato 11, Daiana Giannini 5, Silvia Bilia 5, Francesco Masini 19, Greta Pellegrino 12, Erika Pigatto 25, Elena Generali 30, Giuseppa Pagano Mariano 10, Giorgio Pettiti 23, Giovanni Zanframundo 26, Raffaele Brittelli 2, Vincenzo Aiello 2, Rodolfo Caminiti 2, Daniela Scorpiniti 2, Tommaso Ferrari 16, Corrado Campochiaro 4, Veronica Brusi 6, Micaela Fredi 27, Liala Moschetti 27, Fabio Cacciapaglia 33, Sabrina Rosaria Paparo 34, Francesca Ragusa 34, Valeria Mazzi 35, Giusy Elia 35, Silvia Martina Ferrari 34, Ilenia Di Cola 9, Marta Vadacca 36, Sebastiano Lorusso 36, Monica Monti 37, Serena Lorini 37, Maria Letizia Aprile 28, Marco Tasso 8, Mario Miccoli 34, Silvia Bosello 38, Salvatore D'Angelo 29, Andrea Doria 15, Franco Franceschini 27, Riccardo Meliconi 6, Marco Matucci-Cerinic 13, Florenzo Iannone 33, Roberto Giacomelli 36, Carlo Salvarani 1, Anna Linda Zignego 3, Poupak Fallahi 39, Alessandro Antonelli 35, 1 2, Clodoveo Ferri, 2, Vincenzo Raimondo, 3, Laura Gragnani, 1, Dilia Giuggioli, 4, Lorenzo Dagna, 5, Antonio Tavoni, 6, Francesco Ursini, 7, Massimo L'Andolina, 8, Francesco Caso, 9, Piero Ruscitti, Caminiti 10, Maurizio, Foti 11, Rosario, Riccieri 12, Valeria, Guiducci 13, Serena, Pellegrini 14, Roberta, Zanatta 15, Elisabetta, Varcasia 16, Giuseppe, Olivo 17, Domenico, Gigliotti 18, Pietro, Cuomo, Giovanna, Murdaca 20, Giuseppe, Cecchetti 21, Riccardo, De Angelis 22, Rossella, Romeo 23, Nicoletta, Ingegnoli 24, Francesca, Cozzi 25, Franco, Codullo 26, Veronica, Cavazzana 27, Ilaria, Colaci 28, Michele, Abignano 29, Giuseppina, De Santis 30, Maria, Lubrano 31, Ennio, Fusaro 32, Enrico, 1, Amelia Spinella, 1, Federica Lumetti, 4, Giacomo De Luca, Bellando-Randone 13, Silvia, Visalli 11, Elisa, Dal Bosco 11, Ylenia, Amato 11, Giorgio, 5, Daiana Giannini, 5, Silvia Bilia, Masini 19, Francesco, Pellegrino 12, Greta, Pigatto 25, Erika, Generali 30, Elena, Pagano Mariano 10, Giuseppa, Pettiti 23, Giorgio, Zanframundo 26, Giovanni, 2, Raffaele Brittelli, 2, Vincenzo Aiello, 2, Rodolfo Caminiti, 2, Daniela Scorpiniti, Ferrari 16, Tommaso, 4, Corrado Campochiaro, 6, Veronica Brusi, Fredi 27, Micaela, Moschetti 27, Liala, Cacciapaglia 33, Fabio, Rosaria Paparo 34, Sabrina, Ragusa 34, Francesca, Mazzi 35, Valeria, Elia 35, Giusy, Martina Ferrari 34, Silvia, 9, Ilenia Di Cola, Vadacca 36, Marta, Lorusso 36, Sebastiano, Monti 37, Monica, Lorini 37, Serena, Letizia Aprile 28, Maria, 8, Marco Tasso, Miccoli 34, Mario, Bosello 38, Silvia, D'Angelo 29, Salvatore, Doria 15, Andrea, Franceschini 27, Franco, 6, Riccardo Meliconi, Matucci-Cerinic 13, Marco, Iannone 33, Florenzo, Giacomelli 36, Roberto, 1, Carlo Salvarani, 3, Anna Linda Zignego, Fallahi 39, Poupak, and Antonelli 35, Alessandro

Subjects
autoimmune systemic diseases, Settore MED/16 - Reumatologia, DMARD, COVID-19, aspirin, interstitial lung involvement, steroids, systemic sclerosis, vasculitis
Published
2022

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results