MSK: Part 4 Flashcards
What are all vasculitis associated with
Anaemia and raised ESR
What conditions are associated with vasculitis
Infective: 1. Subacute infective endocarditis Non-infective: 1. Vasculitis with RA 2. SLE 3. Scleroderma 4. Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis 5. Good pasture syndrome and UC/Crohn's
What patients are effected by Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis (large vessel vasculitis)
Patients older than 50
What is associated with PMR and GCA
Finding of GCA on temporal artery biopsy (THEY COEXIST)
What is giant cell arteritis
Arteries of the head and neck inflame
What gender is effected by Polymyalgia Rheumatica
FEMALES
Risk factors of Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- SLE
2. Polymyositis/dermamyositis
Clinical presentation of Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Sudden onset of severe pain and stiffness of the shoulders and neck, and of the hips and lumbar spine; a limb girdle pattern
- Symptoms are worse in the morning, lasting from 30 mins to several hours
- Mild polyarthritis of peripheral joints
- 1/3rd experience: fatigue, fever, weight loss, depression
Differential Diagnosis of Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- RA, spondyloarthropathies, SLE, polymyositis
- Osteoarthritis, malignancy
- Chronic pain syndrome (fibromyalgia and depression)
Diagnosis of POlymyalgia Rheumatica
- ALWAYS over 50
- ESR and CRP RAISED
- ANCA negative
- Serum alkaline phosphatase raised
- Normochromic, normocytic anaemia present
- Giant cell arteritis upon temporal artery biopsy
What FBC content is used to distinguish polymyalgia Rheumatica from myositis
Creatinine Kinase is normal
How is Polymyalgia Rheumatica treated
- CORTICOSTEROIDS (reduce symptoms of PMR) - ORAL PREDNISOLONE
- If improvement does not occur then diagnosis should be questioned
- Decrease SLOWLY
- Used long-term to give GI and bone protection (e.g. LANSOPRAZOLE, ALENDRONATE and Ca/vit D)
What is Giant cell arteritis
Inflammatory granulomatous arteritis of large CEREBRAL ARTERIES as well as large vessels associated with PMR
Risk factors for giant cell arteritis
- Over 50
- Female
- RA, SLE, scleroderma
What happens to arteries in Gaint cell arteritis
- Arteries become inflamed, thickened and obstruct blood flow
What arteries are effected in giant cell arteritis
- Cerebral arteries (temporal artery) and ophthalmic artery = temporary vision loss)
Clinical presentation of giant cell arteritis
- Temporal pulsations (headaches)
- Tenderness of scalp or temple
- Claudication of the jar when eating (pain)
- Tenderness and welling of one or more temporal or occipital arteries
- Sudden painless vision loss (arteritis anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy - optic disc is very pale)
- Malaise, lethargy, fever
- Associated symptoms of PMR
- Dyspnoea, morning stiffness and unequal pulses
Morning Stiffness Does Seem Very Convenient This Hour
Differential diagnosis of giant cell arteritis
- Migraine
- tension headache
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Polyarteritis nodosa
The Magnus Nasty Neil
Diagnostics of Giant cell arteritis
- Over 50
- New headache
- Temporal artery tenderness
- ESR raised
- Abnormal artery biopsy (inflammatory infiltrates present)
ONE OF 3
AND TEMPORAL ARTERY BIOPSY
FBC tests for Giant Cell arteritis
- ESR raised
- Normochromic, normocytic anaemia
- ANCA negative
- CRP VERY HIGH
- Serum alkaline phosphatase RAISED
When should temporal artery biopsy be done for giant cell arteritis
- BEFORE or within 7 days of starting high dose
2. Lesions are patchy so take a big chunk
Histological features of Giant cell arteritis
- Cellular infiltrates of CD4+ T cells, macrophages and giant cells in the vessel wall
- Granulomatous inflammation of the intima and media
- Breaking up of internal elastic lamina
Treatment of Giant cell arteritis
- PREDNISOLONE to stop vision loss
- Long-term to protect GI and bones (LANSOPRAZOLE, ALDENRONATE and Ca/Vit D)
- Monitor treatment progress by looking at fall in ESR/CRP
Name two medium-vessel vasculitis
- POLYARTERITIS NODOSA
2. CRYSTAL ARTHROPATHIES
How common is Polyarteritis Nodosa in the UK
Rare
What does PAN effect
Middle-aged men
What disease is PAN associated with
Hep B
Risk factors for PAN
- Male
- Hep B
- RA, SLE and scleroderma
What is the pathophysiology of Polyarteritis Nodosa
- Necrotising vasculitis that causes aneurysms and thrombosis in medium-sized arteries leading to infarctions in affected organs
HAS SEVERE SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS
Clinical presentation of PAN
- Fever, malaise, weight loss and myalgia
Neurological: Mononeuritis multiplex due to arteritis of vast nervorum (arterial supply to peripheral nerves) -
Numbness, tingling, abnormal/lack of sensation and inability to move part of the body
Abdominal: Pain due to arterial involvement of the abdominal viscera, mimicking acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis or appendicitis
Renal: Haematuria and Proteinuria
Hypertension and CKD can occur
Cardiac: Coronary arteritis causes MI and HF
Skin: Subcutaneous haemorrhage and gangrene occur
Lung involvement is rare
Differential diagnosis of PAN
- Fever caused by infection
- Crohn’s
- Connective tissue disease
- Other vasculitis
Diagnosis of PAN
- FBC
- Biopsy of kidney for hypertension and damage
- Angiography (micro-aneurysms in hepatic, intestinal or renal vessels)
FBC result for PAN
- Anaemia
- WCC raised
- ECR raised
- ANCA negative (sometimes positive)
Treatment for PAN
- ACEI - Ramipril
- CORTICOSTEROIDS - Prednisolone with AZATHIOPRINE or CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE
- Hep B should be treated with antiviral after treatment alongside steroids
What two crystals tend to cause Crystal arthropathies
- MONOSODIUM URATE CRYSTALS
2. CLACIUM PYROPHOSPHATE CRYSTALS
Characteristics of monosodium rate crystals
1, needle-shaped rate crystals
2. Negatively bifringent under polarised light
Characteristics of calcium pyrophosphate crystals
- Small rhomboid brick-shaped pyrophosphate crystals
2. Positively bifringent under polarised light
How do crystals cause arthropathies
- Neutrophils ingest crystals and initiate a pro-inflammatory reaction
What is GOUT
- Inflammatory arthritis associated with hyperuricaemia and intra-articular monosodium rate crystals
Where is GOUT common
MALES in older people
Risk factors for GOUT
- High alcohol intake (highest risk for beer then spirits then wine)
- Purine rich foods (red meat)
- High fructose intake reduces uric acid excretion
- High saturated fat diet
- Low-dose aspirin
- Ischaemic heart disease
- Family history of gout
What are renal causes for GOUT
1, Defective gene for URAT1 transporter in kidney (this reabsorbs rate and secretes it)
- High insulin levels lower rate excretion
- Diuretics impair uric acid excretion (thiazides)
What factors can influence increased production of uric acid
- Increased purine turnover
- Myeloproliferative (polycthaemia vera)
- Lymphoproliferative disorders (leukaemia)
- Carcinoma and psoriasis - due to increased cel turnover
- Cell damage - surgery
- Cell death - chemotherapy
How is uric acid broken down
- HYPOXANTHINE to XANTHINE to URIC ACID by XANTHINE OXIDASE
final product is usually allantoin which is harmless in the body
Why can’t we produce allantoin in the human body
No URICANSE present
What happens to Uric acid in the human body
Excreted via the kidneys
What happens to uric acid when there is hyperuricaemia
Converted to monosodium urate crystals which causes GOUT and PAIN
In what gender are serum uric levels higher
Men
What defines hyperuricaemia
Serum levels higher than 420 micro moles/L or 360 micro moles/L in females
What joints are more prone to attacks of gout in hyperuricaemia
Osteoarthritic joints
What four factors increase serum uric acid levels
- AGE
- OBESITY
- DIABETES MELLITUS
- ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE and HYPERTENSION
Where do monosodium rate crystals tend to form
Joints in which previous traumas have occurred: Big toe
At what temperatures do crystals form
Lower so they form at peripheral joints (coolest)
Why do monosium rate crystals cause pain
Trigger intracellular inflammation
Clinical presentation of ACUTE GOUT
- Middle-aged men
- Sudden onset of agonising pain, swelling and redness of first MTP joint
- Usually just one joint affected by can sometimes be polyarthritic
- Attack is precipitated by excess food (especially red meat) , alcohol, dehydration or diuretic therapy, cold, trauma or sepsis
- Urate renal stone formation
- Gout increases risk of hypertension, renal disease, CVS disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoargitic damage to joints
- Recurrent gout attacks can lead to renal impairment
What people have chronic polyarticular gout
Patients in renal failure or been started on ALLOPURINOL too soon
Differential diagnosis of acute gout
TOPHACEOUS GOUT
Clinical presentation of tophaceaous gout
1, Persistently high levels of uric acid causes monosodium rate forming smooth white deposits (top) in skin and round joints on ear, fingers or Achilles tendon
What are Topphi
Onion like aggregates of monosodium rate crystals with inflammatory cells
How do Tophi cause damage
Release proteolytic enzymes and erosions to bone
What is TOphaceous gout associated with
Renal impairment and long-term use of diuretics
Differential diagnosis of gout
Septic arthritis in acute monoarthropathy
How is Gout diagnosed
- Joint fluid aspiration and microscopy (DIAGNOSTIC)
- SERUM uric acid is raised
- Serum urea, creatinine and eGFR monitored for renal impairment
What does joint fluid aspiration show in GOUT
long needle shaped crystals that are NEGATIVELY bifringent under polarised light
How is Gout treated
- Lose weight
- Less alcohol
- Avoid purine rich food
- Diary can reduce gout
Treatment of ACUTE GOUT
- NSAIDs (IBUPROFEN) or ASPIRIN
- NSAID not tolerated then COLCHICINE (targets uric acid crystallisation)
- IM PREDNISOONE
Problems with Colchicine
- TOXIC in overdose
2. DIARRHOEA and abdo pain
How is Gout prevented
1, Stop diuretics (LOSARTAN - promotes uric acid excretion)
- ALLOPURINOL
- FEBUXOSTAT
Role of ALLOPURINOL
- Inhibits Xanthine Oxidase so less uric acid production and less monosodium rate production
- Reduces serum urate levées rapidly
Side effect of ALLOPURINOL
- Rash
- Fever
- Low WCC
When do we give ALLOPURINOL
3 weeks AFTER an attack as it can trigger attacks too
What is FEBUXOSTAT
Non-purine Xanthine Oxidase inhibitor
When is FEBUXOSTAT given
When ALLOPURINOL is inhibited
What is PSEUDOGOUT
Deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals on joint surface
What kind of people are effected by pseudo gout
- Old age
- Diabetes
- Osteoarthritis
- Joint Trauma/injury
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Haemochromatosis
Pathophysiology of pseudo gout
- Deposition of calcium pyrophosphate in articular cartilage and periarticular tissue producing radiological appearance of chonedrocalcinosis (linear calcification parallel to the articular surfaces)
Clinical Presentation of pseudo gout
- Shedding of crystals into a joint produces acute synovitis that resembles ACUTE GOUT but effects knee or wrist
- Swollen and hot wrist or knee
- Presents with hot joint and fever (septic arthritis - if steroids given then DEVASTATING)
Diagnosis of pseudo gout
- Joint fluid aspiration and microscopy
- X-ray
- FBC
What does joint fluid aspiration and microscopy show in pseudo gout
- Small rhomboidal crystals under microscopy
- Positively bifringent crystals under polarised light
- Joint fluid looks purulent so should be send for culture to exclude septic arthritis
What does X-ray show in pseudo gout
- CHONEDROCALCINOSIS - linear calcification parallel to articular surfaces
What does FBC show in pseudo gout
- RAISED WCC count
Treatment of pseudo gout
- IBUPROFEN or ASPIRIN
- Colchicine if not tolerated
- PREDNIOSOLNE
Aspiration of joint reduces pain
Name a small-vessel vasculitis
- Necrotising, granulomatous vasculitis of small vessels
Effect of GPA on the body
- Upper Resp tract: Sinusitis, nasal crusting and bleeding, saddle nose deformity
- Lungs: Pulmonary nodules/haemorrhage
- Kidney: Glomerulonephritis
- Skin: Purpura
- CNS: Mononeuritis Multiplex
- Eye: Bilateral periorbital oedema and chemises (swelling of conjunctiva)
- MSK: Synovitis
- CV: Pericarditis
How is GPA treated
- Cyclophosphamide
Non-severe:
METHOTREXATE and AZATHIOPRINE