RE: SLE OR FMS?????? - GINA

[Guest guest]

You are welcome, . If you posted this before, I never saw it, so please

accept my apologies for any duplication. A friend passed it along to me, and

I found it to be very informative. I am always learning. ; )

Hugs,

Joan

Re: [ ] SLE OR FMS??????

Joan, this is one of my favorite articles. Thank you for posting it.

I urge everyone to read it! Even if SLE or FMS are not issues for you,

the article illustrates quite nicely how difficult a differential

diagnosis can be and what the proper approach to interpretation of lab

results is.

I hope all of those doctors who refer to the ANA test as the " lupus

test " read it, too, so maybe they'll stop doing it.

[ ] SLE OR FMS??????

>

>

> Tired, aching, ANA-positive: does your patient have lupus

> or fibromyalgia?

>

> Journal: Cleve Clin J Med 2002 Feb;69(2):143-6, 151-2

> Author: Blumenthal DE.

> Affiliation: Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic

> Diseases, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.

> NLM Citation: PMID: 11990644

>

> The symptoms of fibromyalgia and lupus can be similar, but

> the treatments are very different. Although the antinuclear

> antibody (ANA) test has often been used to make the

> distinction, this approach has its pitfalls. This paper

> offers strategies for more accurate diagnosis.

>

> The complete article is available for free in PDF format at:

>

> http://www.ccjm.org/pdffiles/Blumental202.pdf

[Guest guest]

Joan, I sent this link as part of my response to someone not too long

ago, but not standing alone in its own post as it deserves. Never

apologize for sharing excellent articles, please! The more times the

better for something this good because the more chance that people will

read it.

You're giving me a chance to include the link one more time:

http://www.ccjm.org/pdffiles/Blumental202.pdf

Thanks again,

RE: [ ] SLE OR FMS?????? - GINA

> You are welcome, . If you posted this before, I never saw it, so

please

> accept my apologies for any duplication. A friend passed it along to

me, and

> I found it to be very informative. I am always learning. ; )

>

> Hugs,

> Joan