Giant cell arteritis (GCA), temporal arteritis or Horton’s arteritis, is a systemic vasculitis which involves large and medium sized vessels, especially the extracranial branches of the carotid arteries, in persons usually older than 50 years. Permanent visual loss, ischaemic strokes, and thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms are feared complications of GCA. The treatment consists of high dose steroids. Mortality, with a correct treatment, in patients with GCA seems to be similar that of controls.

Syncope is not an uncommonly presenting manifestation of acute PE. Patients with acute PE and syncope have similar characteristics to those without syncope. Syncope does not seem to determine a poor prognosis.

BackgroundVitamin D may influence many diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus.Patients and MethodsWe studied serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and associated characteristics in type 2 diabetic outpatients with pharmacologic treatment attended in internal medicine offices in a first-level hospital from Extremadura (Southern Spain).ResultsWe included a total of 103 patients. Seventy-two patients (69.9%) had serum levels of 25(OH)D lower than 20 ng/mL. There was inverse correlation between serum levels of 25(OH)D and glycosylated hemoglobin (r = −0.74, P = 0.01). In 78 patients without insulin therapy, we found inverse correlation between serum levels of 25(OH)D and fasting serum insulin (r = −0.82, P = 0.001) and Homeostasis Model Assessment–Insulin Resistance (r = −0.51, P < 0.001).ConclusionsVitamin D deficiency is common in type 2 diabetic patients. There are inverse correlations between vitamin D and metabolic control and insulin resistance.

Severe pancytopenia associated with low-dose MTX therapy for rheumatoid arthritis is a potentially serious complication that may occur at any time during therapy. This adverse effect is more likely to occur in patients with renal impairment.

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