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Synovial xanthomatosis: are there clues to mechanisms for this rare disease?

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

We report a 64-year-old man with arthritis and nodules to describe that this picture can be caused by normo-lipidemic xanthomas. Light and electron microscopy (EM) plus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studies were performed for diagnosis and investigation. These showed features typical of xanthomas plus PCR and EM evidence of possible infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae as a pathogenetic mechanism deserving consideration. With such rare diseases, any clues to possible mechanisms seem important to record and thus to encourage future investigations. This uncommon cause of arthritis and nodules had been confused with rheumatoid arthritis by others in this case.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

    H. Ralph Schumacher & Joan M. Von Feldt

  2. Rheumatology Research 151K, Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    H. Ralph Schumacher, Marie Sieck, Gilda M. Clayburne & Joan M. Von Feldt

  3. Camden, NJ, USA

    Wassim G. Habre

  4. Cardiovascular Division, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Christopher Friedrich

  5. Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lan X. Chen

Authors
  1. H. Ralph Schumacher
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  2. Wassim G. Habre
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  3. Christopher Friedrich
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  4. Marie Sieck
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  5. Lan X. Chen
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  6. Gilda M. Clayburne
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  7. Joan M. Von Feldt
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Correspondence to H. Ralph Schumacher.

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Schumacher, H.R., Habre, W.G., Friedrich, C. et al. Synovial xanthomatosis: are there clues to mechanisms for this rare disease?. Mod Rheumatol 22, 907–911 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-012-0592-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-012-0592-2

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