Post-coronavirus disease (COVID) syndrome (PCS) is a term used to describe the clinical condition of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 but are still experiencing prolonged effects of infection or persistent symptoms for longer than expected. Although PCS has been previously studied in the general population, it has not been investigated in a specific population of patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD). This study aims to evaluate the presence and frequency of PCS among our rheumatology outpatients. This is a cross-sectional study of patients with IRD whose symptoms persisted for 12 weeks after the detection of COVID-19 infection. The patients were assessed with a survey form during their routine clinic follow-up or by contacting them by phone. Patients’ demographics, diagnosis, medication, comorbidities, outcome of COVID-19, and symptoms related to PCS were collected. Fifty-three patients with IRD and COVID (mean age: 48.5 13.99 years, 71.7% women) were included. PCS was observed in 36 (67.9%) patients. Twenty-two (41.5%) of them had three or more symptoms; 14 (26.4%) had one or two symptoms. Although more than 30 symptoms were detected, the most frequent were fatigue and weakness. No significant relationship was detected between the development of PCS and gender, age, disease duration, presence of COVID-related complications, and the need for oxygen support, except for smoking which showed a protective effect (p=0.008). PCS was detected in more than half of the patients. There was no independent risk factor for the development of PCS, except smoking.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the impact of different temporomandibular disorder (TMD) diagnoses on the thickness of the masseter and temporalis muscles. Materials and Methods: Individuals were divided into four groups: (1) myofascial pain; (2) disc displacements; (3) mixed group; and (4) asymptomatic control group. 53 individuals with TMD and 20 individuals without TMD were recruited. Results: No significant differences were found among groups in masseter and temporalis muscles thickness at rest and maximum contraction (p>0.05). However, the masseter muscle thickness at rest and maximum contraction were greater in asymptomatic individuals than in individuals with TMD (p<0.05). Conclusion: Masseter and temporalis muscles thickness are similar in the TMD subgroups and the asymptomatic control group at rest and maximum contraction.

Gout and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are distinct disorders, but both of these inflammatory arthropaties are associated with a relatively similar risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We aimed to assess carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in both disorders to understand and compare the extent of vascular damage. Patients with recently diagnosed gout (n = 30) and RA (n = 40) without previous cardiovascular disease were included to the present study, and 45 healthy volunteers served as controls. All participants underwent ultrasonographic examinations to measure CIMT, FMD and CFR. In unadjusted analysis, both gout and RA were associated with a significantly higher CIMT and significantly lower CFR as compared to controls, while FMD was only lower in the gout group. After adjustment, there was a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for CIMT (OR:7.02, 95%CI:2.45–20.58 for gout and OR:2.86, 95%CI:1.27–6.57 for RA) and a lower OR for CFR (OR:0.21, 95%CI:0.08–0.55 for gout and OR:0.17, 95%CI:0.07–0.45 for RA) in both groups, while only gout patients had a lower OR for FMD (OR:0.21, 95%CI:0.08–0.55). There were no significant differences or evidence of a difference between gout and RA patients for CIMT, FMD or CFR. Gout and RA are associated with a similar degree of vascular damage, which may explain the similar incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in both diseases. Graphical Abstract