Key Points ■ Calcific periarthritis is characterized by periarticular deposits of calcific material (hydroxyapatite), which may also result in calcific tendinitis or bursitis. ■ In calcific periarthritis, the shoulder is the main site affected, but deposits have been described near…
Key Points ■ Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPDD) is a common and underrecognized form of arthritis in older adult patients. ■ The clinical presentation of CPDD is broad and ranges from an acute monoarticular inflammatory arthritis to a chronic polyarticular…
Key Points ■ Therapeutic strategies for gout and hyperuricemia have been subjected to systematic and formal consensus review processes and disseminated in recent guidelines. ■ Management strategies involve distinct but linked arms, with attention to safety and improved quality of…
Key Points ■ An acute gout flare is characterized by abrupt and rapid onset of extreme pain, within 24 hours, starting usually at night or early morning, with resolution within days to weeks. ■ In men the initial flare is…
Key Points ■ Gout is a chronic disease of monosodium urate crystal deposition, which typically presents as recurrent episodes of severe, painful inflammatory arthritis. Monosodium urate crystals form from extracellular fluids saturated with urate, the endproduct of human purine metabolism.…
Key Points ■ In many modern societies, with abundantly available foods and a strong tendency toward a sedentary lifestyle, gout has changed its epidemiology from a “disease of kings” to a “disease of commoners,” coinciding with the global obesity epidemic.…
Key Points ■ Therapeutic innovation in the field of osteoarthritis includes both symptomatic (aimed at relieving pain and improving joint function) and structure-modifying treatments (aimed at slowing down joint deterioration). ■ An analysis of the therapies currently under development shows…
Key Points ■ Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, and pain is its most common symptom. ■ The aims of treatment are to reduce pain, improve health-related quality of life, maximize activity, and optimize participation. ■ Management…
PULMONARY PHARMACOLOGY Pulmonary pharmacology concerns the effects of drugs on the lungs and understanding how drugs used to treat patients with pulmonary diseases work. Much of this pharmacology concerns drugs used to treat obstructive airway diseases, such as asthma and…
Plate 4-1 Open full size image CONGENITAL DEFORMITIES OF THE THORACIC CAGE PECTUS EXCAVATUM Pectus excavatum is also called funnel chest, chonechondrosternon, or trichterbrust. It is a deformity of the anterior chest wall characterized by depression of the lower sternum…