Introduction to Rheumatology

Question 1

Rheuma is Greek for ________.

Answer 1

flow

Question 2

What is rheumatology?

Answer 2

The study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders that may (but not always) affect the joints.

Question 3

The first branch point in rheumatological diagnosis is _________.

Answer 3

inflammatory vs. mechanical

Question 4

Prolonged morning stiffness indicates _________.

Answer 4

an inflammatory process

Question 5

Activity typically ______ mechanical joint pain.

Answer 5

worsens

Question 6

Osteoarthritis can affect the ______ joint, while rheumatoid arthritis typically doesn’t.

Answer 6

DIP

Question 7

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect the ______ joint, while osteoarthritis doesn’t.

Answer 7

MCP

Question 8

Erythrocyte sedimentation rates will be _______ in inflamed tissues.

Answer 8

faster, because the inflammatory mediators (cytokines) are positive, and the positive charges cancel out the negative RBC surface charges

Question 9

Rheumatoid factor has a high _____ rate.

Answer 9

false positive

Question 10

Synovial WBCs greater than _______ are diagnostic of inflammatory arthritis.

Answer 10

2,000

Question 11

______ and ______ are the most common mono-articular arthritis sources.

Answer 11

Crystalline diseases and infections

Question 12

High dose ______ can cause avascular necrosis in the femoral head.

Answer 12

corticosteroids

Question 13

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of small joints (with the exception of the DIP), so do not suspect RA if a patient has ______.

Answer 13

back pain

Question 14

Anthropologists believe uricase was lost to _________.

Answer 14

increase sodium retention, because uric acid promotes sodium retention in the kidneys

Question 15

Enthesitis is ________.

Answer 15

inflammation of ligamentous-osseous junctions

Question 16

Most DMARDS (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) are ________.

Answer 16

teratogenic

Question 17

Describe the difference between arthritis and arthralgia.

Answer 17

Arthritis is joint pain with evidence of inflammation; arthralgia is joint pain without evidence of inflammation.

Question 18

Describe the three types of joints, and provide examples of each.

Answer 18

(1) synarthrosis: fusion of bones, such as the skull; (2): amphiarthrosis: bones joined by cartilage, such as the ribs; (3) diarthrosis: bones articulate through cartilage and stabilized by ligaments, such as the knee

Question 19

Entheses are ________.

Answer 19

sites where tendons and ligaments connect to bone

Question 20

Pannus is _________.

Answer 20

thickened, swollen synovium

Question 21

Red joints typically indicate _________.

Answer 21

infection or crystal disease

Question 22

Wrist involvement is a sign of ________.

Answer 22

RA

Question 23

Gouty tophi can present on the _________.

Answer 23

ear

Question 24

Pseudogout is characterized by __________.

Answer 24

calcium pyrophosphate crystals

Question 25

Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with the _________ marker.

Answer 25

HLAB27