Department Introduction
Our Speciality
Medical Services
The division of immunology and rheumatology specializes in monoarthritis and polyarthritis; inflammatory diseases which occur in muscle, tendon, fascia, and bursa ; and systemic autoimmune diseases including degenerative arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gouty arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. The initial performance of these diseases ever-changing, and often makes the patients themselves have no idea and ask for help in other divisions. However, in our division, you can get the appropriate care if you have symptoms below.
- Malar rash on the face (butterfly pattern) and skin rash.
- Entire body joint pains or continuing redness, swelling, heat and pain of joints
- Muscle weakness, swelling and pain; or exercise-induced joint pain
- Unspecified persistent fever or swollen lymph nodes
- Skin lesions with systemic symptoms such as fever, sweating and weight loss.
- Bruising or discoloration of fingers
- Chronic back pain
Allergy tests
Immunofluorescence method: the detection of allergens such as food, drugs and inhalant allergens
Skin allergy test: inhalant allergens and food allergens
Allergen-specific immunotherapy: nasal specific immunotherapy and subcutaneous specific immunotherapy
Asthma tests
Pulmonary function test, post-bronchodilator pulmonary function test, methacholine challenge test and peak expiratory flow (PEF).
Tests for rheumatic disease
ANA (antinuclear antibody) test, ANCA (anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody) test, AMA/ASMA (anti-mitochondrial antibodies/anti-smooth muscle antibodies) test; Anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) antibody screening, RF (rheumatoid factor) test; Anti-dsDNA quantitative test, immune complex test; Anti-CCP (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide) test and Anti-cardiolipin test.
Soft tissue ultrasound
Since the advancement of ultrasound, the soft tissue ultrasound has been widely used by physicians in the diagnosis and monitoring of RA (e.g., the severity of the inflammation) in last ten years. Now we implement more than 1300 cases, over 5000 joints, of soft tissue ultrasound each year. In addition, we are one of few hospitals in central Taiwan with rich experience in the soft tissue ultrasound.