Introduction Many primary connective tissue disorders alter the radiographic appearance of the skeleton and are referred to as skeletal dysplasias (see Chapter 49 ). A smaller number of disorders produce connective tissue laxity syndromes, such as the Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, in…
Introduction Episodic color changes of the hands and feet in response to cold or stress, known as Raynaud phenomenon (RP), are a frequent complaint among patients presenting to pediatric rheumatology clinics. The first description of vasomotor instability triggered by cold…
Immune defense against microbes is mediated by sequential and coordinated responses, termed innate and adaptive immunity . Innate immunity represents early response mechanisms that facilitate rapid reaction to invading pathogens in the first few hours or days after infection (see…