title: [Clinical features and prognostic analysis of retroperitoneal fibrosis in 32 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical features and imaging manifestations of retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) for improving clinical diagnosis and  treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 32 cases from Jul. 2009 to Dec. 2011 with definite diagnosis of RPF were reviewed retrospectively, and the  fibro-inflammatory tissue in CT/MRI imagings were classified and measured. The clinical symptoms, the acute phase reactants, kidney function, and  radiological imaging,with or without double-J ureteral stenting were observed and compared between prior and post medications and their correlations were also analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age at onset was 60 years, ranging from 30-78, with male-to-female ratio of 1.91:1. Among these 32 cases, the most common presenting manifestations included abdominal pain, abdominal distension, lumbago, loss of body weight, and pitting edema of lower extremities. Hydronephrosis was found by colour doppler untrasonography in 26 (81.25%) patients. RPF was confirmed by typical CT/MRI imagings in all the patients. All of the patients in our study were treated with corticosteroids and in combination with tamoxifen or immunosuppressive agents in most  of the patients, of whom 18 patients were followed up for an average of 14 months. After drug therapy, the patients' symptoms were relieved, ESR and CRP droped, renal function improved, and the size of RPF reflected in CT/MRI imagings became smaller significantly. The average time of removal double-J ureteral stenting was 13.1 months and the extubated rate was 80%. The correlation coefficients between changes of ESR or CRP and transverse diameter in CT/MRI imagings were 0.50 or 0.66 (P<0.05) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presenting manifestations of RPF were nonspecific. However, it is extremely important to recognize RPF, because early drug therapy could alleviate symptoms and reduce the acute phase reactants, improve renal function and improve imaging and extubated rate. When compared with the changes between prior and post medications, changes of ESR and CRP had good correlations with CT/MRI imaging changes respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: Le-mei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhuo-li
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012185:Retroperitoneal Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents