Our study showed for the first time that there is a relationship between SQ and risk factors of atherosclerosis in predialysis CKD patients.

Behçet’s disease (BD) causes vascular inflammation and necrosis in a wide range of organs and tissues. In the thorax, it may cause vascular complications, affecting the aorta, brachiocephalic arteries, bronchial arteries, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, capillaries, and mediastinal and thoracic inlet veins. In BD, chest radiograph is commonly used for the initial assessment of pulmonary symptoms and complications and for follow-up and establishment of the response to treatment. With the advancement of helical or multislice computed tomography (CT) technologies, such noninvasive imaging techniques have been employed for the diagnosis of vascular lesions, vascular complications, and pulmonary parenchymal manifestations of BD. CT scan (especially, CT angiography) has been used to determine the presence and severity of pulmonary complications without resorting to more invasive procedures, in conjunction with gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the subtraction of arterial phase images. These radiologic methods have characteristics that are complementary to each other in diagnosis of the thoracic complications in BD. 3D ultrashort echo time (UTE) MR imaging (MRI) could potentially yield superior image quality for pulmonary vessels and lung parenchyma when compared with breath-hold 3D MR angiography.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tear functions and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) findings of patients with gout and compare them with healthy controls. Methods: Thirty-four patients with gout (group 1) and 32 age-matched and gender-matched healthy individuals (group 2) were included in this crosssectional study. Schirmer 1 test, tear breakup time (TBUT), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, and CIC grade were evaluated and compared between the groups. Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in gender and age (P¼0.923 and P¼0.078, respectively). The mean of Schirmer 1 test result was significantly lower in group 1 (9.7466.03 mm) than that in group 2 (17.1669.33 mm) (P,0.001). The TBUT was also significantly lower in group 1 (7.0062.09 seconds) than that in group 2 (12.7565.25 seconds) (P,0.001). The OSDI score (20.04612.92) was significantly higher in group 1 than that in group 2 (6.19610.07) (P,0.001). Although 10 patients (29.4%) in group 1 had the CIC grade of 2 to 3, none of the controls had CIC grade 2 to 3. The mean CIC grade in group 1 (1.1560.89) was significantly higher than that in group 2 (0.4760.51) (P,0.001). Conclusions:The results of this study suggest that ocular surface alterations assessed by CIC and tear function abnormalities are more common in patients with gout.

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