MSK + rheumatology Flashcards
What conditions fall into inflammatory arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis
Seronegative spondyloarthritis
Crystal arthritis (gout and pseudogout)
Difference between rheumatoid and seronegative arthritis
Rheumatoid: starts in small joints, bigger joints not affected until later in course of disease. Seronegative involves big joints from beginning
Rheumatoid: symmetrical, Seronegative: asymmetrical
Rheumatoid has no spinal involvement, seronegative involves spine
Rheumatoid more common in females, seroneg males
basically complete opposites
What is Raynaud’s?
vasospasm that causes digits to change colour to white (pallor) from lack of blood flow, usually brought on by cold temperatures
What is systemic lupus erythematosus?
SLE is an inflammatory autoimmune connective tissue disorder.
Chronic and affects multiple systems.
Who does SLE affect?
More common in Afro-Caribbean and Asian
9/10 patients are women
Peak age of onset ranges from 30 to 70 years in women and between 50 and 70 years in men
What can cause SLE?
incl. environmental possible triggers
Genetic + environmental
Environmental triggers
- UV radiation
- Drugs: procainamide, sulfasalazine, minocycline, isoniazid
- Viral: EBV, CMV, parovirus B19
- Hormonal: oestrogen
What is the pathophysiology in SLE?
Environmental trigger damages cells causing apoptosis.
leads to the release of nuclear antigens from the apoptosing cells.
B cells produce anti-nuclear antibodies in response and form antigen-antibody complexes.
These complexes travel and deposit in tissue causing an inflammatory response and tissue damage (type 3 hypersensitivity)
What are the risk factors for SLE?
Female sex
age >30 years
African descent in Europe and US
Certain meds
sun exposure
family history of SLE
tobacco smoking
What meds are associated with SLE?
procainamide
minocycline
terbinafine
sulfasalazine
isoniazid
phenytoin
carbamazepine
Why is the risk of thrombosis increased in SLE?
presence of antiphospholipid antibodies increases the risk
What are the symptoms of SLE?
Skin: malar rash, discoid rash, photosensitive rash
Haematological: anaemia (can be haemolytic), thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, lymphopenia
Fatigue
Weight loss
Fever
Oral ulcers
Arthralgia/ arthritis
Serositis: pleuritis, pericarditis
Thrombosis
Abdo pain, D&V
Raynaud’s
Hair loss
Nephrosis
What course does SLE follow?
relapsing-remitting course
with flares of worse symptoms and periods where symptoms settle
What autoantibodies are relevant in SLE?
ANA
anti-dsDNA
anti-Ro
anti-Sm
anti-La
antiphospholipid
What investigations should be done for SLE?
ANA: positive, but not specific for lupus
Double stranded DNA antibody (+ other autoantibodies)
FBC: anaemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia
Urea and creatinine: rise when renal disease advanced
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein: ESR raised, CRP normal/raised
In SLE, who has antiphospholipid syndrome?
Patients with thrombosis, recurrent miscarriages and persistent positive aPL blood tests
Differentials for SLE
Rheumatoid arthritis
Antiphospholipid syndrome
Systemic sclerosis
Mixed connective tissue disease
Lyme disease
What is the non-pharmacological treatment for SLE?
sun protection
diet and nutrition - avoiding CVD
exercise
psychological treatment
smoking cessation
Pharmacological treatment options for SLE
NSAIDs
Hydroxychloroquine
Corticosteroids (pred) + immunosuppressive drugs
What are some possible complications of SLE?
Haematological: anaemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia
Corticosteroid complications
Inflammation: myocarditis, endocarditis, pleuritis, pericarditis
Miscarriage in presence of aPL
Thrombosis
What can cause oedema in SLE?
Lupus nephritis causing inflammation in kidney, nephrotic syndrome (proteinuria) and hypoalbuminaemia
How is lupus nephritis diagnosed?
Renal biopsy showing crescent shaped swelling and a wire loop pattern
What is antiphospholipid syndrome?
persistently elevated antiphospholipid antibodies characterised by thromboses and pregnancy-related morbidity
1/3 of patients have SLE
What investigations would you run for antiphospholipid syndrome?
- Anticardiolipin test:
- Lupus anticoagulant test:
- Anti-B2-glycoprotein I test:
What is Marfan’s syndrome?
Autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder characterised by loss of elastic tissue
What genetic mutation causes Marfan’s?
mutation of the FBN1 gene on chromosome 15q21
In 75% of patients this is autosomal dominant, the others occur spontaneously
What is the pathophysiology of Marfan’s?
FBN1 gene mutation makes abnormal fibrillin protein
Causes fewer functioning microfibrils in extracellular matrix Less tissue integrity and elasticity throughout connective tissue in body
Less functioning fibrillin means less removal of TGF-Beta, so excessive signalling and more tissue growth.
How does Marfan’s affect the aorta?
Marfan’s causes aorta to dilate over time, risk of aortic valve issues.
Aorta also undergoes cystic medial necrosis.
Both of these make aorta susceptible to aneurysms and dissection
According to ghent diagnostic criteria, what are the 2 cardinal features of Marfan’s?
aortic root aneurysm
ectopia lentis
What is needed to diagnose Marfan’s?
Aortic Root Dilatation Z score ≥ 2 AND Ectopia Lentis/ FBN1
or
Ectopia lentis AND a FBN1 mutation associated with Aortic Root Dilatation
What are the risk factors for Marfan’s?
family history of Marfan syndrome, or of aortic dissection or aneurysm
weak association with high paternal age
What signs can be seen in Marfan’s?
Positive thumb sign: if patient bens thumb across palm and covers with fingers, tip of thumb protrudes
Positive wrist sign: when wrapped around other wrist, 1st and 5th digits overlap
Clinical features of Marfan’s
ectopia lentis + aortic dilation
Tall stature
long limbs
arachnodactyly (long digits)
scoliosis
high level of pubic bone
high arched palate (can cause dental crowding)
pectus excavatum (sternum inwards) or pectus carinatum (sternum outwards)
flat feet
myopia and/or astigmatism
hypermobility
How can the aorta be viewed?
Echocardiography
CT/MRI, thorax if not clear on echo
CT/MRI, abdomen
Abdominal ultrasound
What investigations should be done for Marfan’s?
Echocardiography or other aortic imaging
Ophthalmic assessment
Consider blood screening for FBN1, however diagnosis usually made clinically
Differentials for Marfan’s
Aortic dissection not associated with Marfan syndrome
Bicuspid aortic valve
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Marfanoid hypermobility syndrome
Basic management of Marfan’s
No curative treatment exists, so management aims to prevent cardiac, ophthalmic, and musculoskeletal complications
e.g. lifestyle changes, beta blockers and ARBs, consider pregnancies as bigger risk of AAA
What can worsen the prognosis for Marfan’s?
Once aortic dissection occurs, survival is considerably reduced to between 50% and 70% at 5 years
Complications of Marfan’s
Aortic dissection
Spontaneous ptx
Aortic/mitral regurgitation
Hernia
What is Ehlers Danlos syndrome?
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are inherited connective tissue disorders due to defective collagen,
characterised by joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility
Which is the most common and least severe form of EDS?
Hypermobile
What causes EDS?
genetic changes in genes for connective tissue proteins, such as collagen and matrix proteins
e.g. COL5a1
What are the effects on connective tissue due to the EDS gene defect?
- ligament laxity and hypermobility
- fragility of connectvie tissues
- impaired healing
What systems are the primary manifestations in EDS?
Musculoskeletal
skin
What feature in EDS is present in all types?
joint hypermobility
What score is used to assess for hypermobility and what would the mark be for hypermobility?
Beighton score
5/9
List some manifestations/symptoms of EDS
MSK: joint pain and hypermobility, dislocation, spinal pain
Skin: easy bruising, stretchy and soft skin, stretch marks
Cardiovasc: POTS
GI: GORD, IBS
Poor wound healing
Chronic pain and fatigue
Gynae: abnormal bleeding, dysmenorrhoea
Uterine/rectal prolapse
abdominal wall, inguinal, or para-umbilical hernia
Risk factors for EDS
family history of joint hypermobility or EDS
genetic mutations for EDS
Examples of criteria of Beighton scoring for hypermobility
Place their palms flat on the floor with their straight legs
Hyperextend their elbows
Hyperextend their knees
Bend their thumb to touch their forearm
Hyperextend their little finger past 90 degrees
How is EDS diagnosed?
Clinically (assessment and beighton)
Genetic testing can reveal some mutations but no single confirmatory test
Differentials for EDS
Marfan’s syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Management of EDS
Asymptomatic don’t require treatment
MDT: physiotherapy to strength joints, avoid contact sports and physically demanding jobs
Complications of EDS
Surgery complications: bleeding, impaired healing, difficulty suturing
Ruptured blood vessels
Reduced QoL
Which type of EDS is associated with shortened lifespan?
Vascular
Epidemiology of sjogrens syndrome
Women affected more than men
Peaks between 20-40 and 50s
Difference between primary and secondary sjogrens syndrome
Primary Sjögren’s is where the condition occurs in isolation. Secondary Sjögren’s is where it occurs due to other diseases such as SLE or RA
How is the Schirmer test carried out?
Sjogrens
inserting folded filter paper under the lower eyelid with the end hanging out.
Moisture from the eye will travel by diffusion along the filter paper.
After 5 minutes, the distance that the moisture travels along the filter paper is measured.
15mm is expected. Less than 10mm is significant
What investigations should be done for Sjogren syndrome?
Schirmer test
Screen for anti-60 kD (SS-A) Ro and anti-La (SS-B)
What is going wrong in Sjogrens?
focal lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands
What are the risk factors for sjogrens syndrome?
female
SLE
RA
systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
HLA class II markers
age 40-70
What are the key diagnostic factors for sjogrens?
fatigue
dry eyes
dry mouth
What are the sicca symptoms in sjogrens?
dry eyes and mouth
Differentials for sjogrens
hypothyroidism
drug-induced or idiopathic sicca
SLE
RA
scleroderma
fibromyalgia
Management of sjogrens
Artificial tears/ eye drops
Artificial saliva
Vaginal lubricants
Pilocarpine to stimulate tear and saliva production
Why should anticholinergics, antihistamines, and diuretics be avoided in sjogrens?
Can exaccerbate dry eyes
Complications of sjogrens
Blepharitis (from dry eyes)
exacerbation of dry eyes and blurring vision
oral candidiasis
cholinergic side effects of medicine
What is healthy cartilage like?
matrix of collagen fibres, enclosing proteoglycans and water
Avascular
Chondrocytes secrete collagen and proteoglycans
balance between cartilage degradation from wear and production by chondrocytes
What type of collagen is normally in articular cartilage?
type 2
What is the pathophysiology of OA?
Injury to joint leads to inflammation
Cytokines released and break down lining of joint, more inflammatory cells produced.
Loss of cartilage and abnormal bone repair leads to sclerotic subchondral bone and overgrowths (osteophytes)
Risk factors of osteoarthritis
age >50 years
female sex
obesity
genetic factors (e.g. family history)
joint malalignment
physically demanding occupation/sport
post trauma/injury
What X-ray changes are seen in OA?
L – Loss of joint space
O – Osteophytes (bone spurs)
S – Subarticular sclerosis (increased density of the bone along the joint line)
S – Subchondral cysts (fluid-filled holes in the bone)
What is osteoarthritis?
OA is the result of mechanical and biological events that destabilise the normal process of degradation and synthesis of articular cartilage, extracellular matrix, and subchondral bone
Leads to loss of cartilage and sclerosis of subchondral bone
Clinically characterised by joint pain, stiffness, and functional limitation
affects the entire joint
What is the most common form of arthritis?
osteoathritis
What causes primary and secondary OA?
Primary: unkown
Secondary: pre-existing joint damage, e.g. RA, gout, spondyloarthritis
What joints are commonly affected in OA?
Hips
Knees
Distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints in the hands
Carpometacarpal (CMC) joint at the base of the thumb
Lumbar spine
Cervical spine (cervical spondylosis)
Signs of osteoathritis
Crepitus
Restricted movement
Bony enlargement
Joint effusion + inflammation
Bony instability + muscle wasting
What is morning stiffness like for OA?
shouldn’t last longer than 30 minutes
if longer, consider RA
Symptoms of OA
joint pain, stiffness, and sometimes swelling
functional difficulties and limited range of movement
bony deformities
How is OA diagnosed?
Clinically
Can consider (but diagnosis made clinically):
XR: if damage advanced
CRP and ESR: normal
RF and ANA: negative
What signs of OA can be seen in the hands?
Heberden’s nodes (in the DIP joints)
Bouchard’s nodes (in the PIP joints)
Squaring at the base of the thumb (CMC joint)
Differentials for osteoarthritis
Bursitis
Gout
Pseudogout
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Psoriatic arthritis
Avascular necrosis (AVN)
Management options for OA
Non-pharmaceutical: exercise, weight loss if overweight
Pharmacological: topical NSAIDs, oral NSAIDs + PPI for gastroprotection
Surgical joint replacement
NSAIDs: best used intermittently, only for a short time during flares
Complications of OA
functional decline and inability to perform activities of daily living
spinal stenosis in cervical and lumbar OA
NSAID-related gastrointestinal bleeding
NSAID-related renal dysfunction
What can cause RA?
genetics and environment.
E.g. HLA-DR1 or HLA-DR4.
Environmental factors: infection
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
an autoimmune condition that causes chronic inflammation in the synovial lining of the joints, tendon sheaths and bursa.
a type of inflammatory arthritis
Who does RA tend to affect?
2-3x more common in women than men
most often develops in middle age but can present at any age
How long does morning stiffness last in RA?
1 hour (longer than OA)
What are the risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis?
genetic predisposition/ family hx
smoking
What joints does RA tend to affect and what is this called?
Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints
Proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints
Wrist
Metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints (in the foot)
can affect larger joints (more progressed) and c spine (not lumbar)
symmetrical distal polyarthrits
What joint symptoms are present in RA?
Pain
Stiffness
Swelling
What age do most patients with RA present?
between the ages of 40 and 60
Which arthritis may affect the DIP joints?
Enlarged and painful distal interphalangeal joints are more likely to represent Heberden’s nodes due to osteoarthritis, not RA.
How do patients with RA typically present?
hx of bilateral, symmetrical pain and swelling of the small joints of the hands and feet that has lasted for >6 weeks. Morning stiffness lasting over 1 hour
What hand deformities can be seen in advanced RA?
Z-shaped deformity to the thumb
Swan neck deformity (hyperextended PIP and flexed DIP)
Boutonniere deformity (hyperextended DIP and flexed PIP)
Ulnar deviation of the fingers at the MCP joints
not as common now as DMARDs usually given early
What are some extra-articular manifestations of RA?
Pulmonary fibrosis
Felty’s syndrome
Sjögren’s syndrome
Anaemia of chronic disease
CVD
Eye manifestations
Rheumatoid nodules
Lymphadenopathy
Carpel tunnel syndrome
Amyloidosis
What investigations should be done for RA?
Rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP: positive
Radiographs and ultrasonography
ESR and CRP
What are the differentials for RA?
Psoriatic arthritis
Infectious arthritis
Gout
SLE
Osteoarthritis
What scoring systems can be used in RA?
Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) measures functional ability
Disease Activity Score 28 Joints (DAS28) score is used in monitoring disease activity and response to treatment, involves assessing 28 joints
What are the management options for RA?
medications
single DMARDs for low disease activity, e.g. methotrexate
short term corticosteroids during: flares, early disease, or when starting/changing DMARDs
NSAIDs
biological DMARDs with methotrexate (if methotrexate not working)
What is the prescription of methotrexate given for RA?
7.5mg given once a week, with 5mg folic acid taken the next day as it interferes with folate metabolism
Examples of common synthetic DMARDs given for RA
hydroxychloroquine
sulfasalazine
methotrexate
leflunomide
What are some of the biological DMARDs given for moderate to severe RA?
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors: adalimumab
Anti-CD20: rituximab
Anti-interleukin-6 inhibitors: sarilumab
JAK inhibitors: upadacitinib
T-cell co-stimulation inhibitors: abatacept
What medication is given to pregnant women (or considering pregnancy) with RA?
Corticosteroids
e.g. oral pred
Side effects of methotrexate
Mouth ulcers and mucositis
Liver toxicity
Bone marrow suppression and leukopenia
Teratogenic
What are some possible complications of RA?
work disability
increased joint replacement surgery
increased coronary artery disease
increased mortality
interstitial lung disease
carpal tunnel syndrome
What does spondyloarthritis mean?
an umbrella term for a group of conditions that affects the spine and peripheral joints with familial clustering and a link to type1 HLA antigens
(HLA-B27)
What types of arthritis fall into seronegative spondyloarthritis?
Axial & ankylosing spondylitis
Psoriatic arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Enteropathic athritis
What tissue type are the spondyloarthropathies associated with?
HLA-B27
What is HLA-B27?
Human leukocyte antigen B27
Class 1 surface antigen (on all cells except for RBC)
Is an antigen presenting cell
associated with spondyloarthropathies
What is axial spondyloarthritis and what does it become?
An inflammatory disorder primarily affecting fibrous and synovial joints of the spine
When radiographic changes at the sacroiliac joints are present it is called ankylosing spondylitis
When is axial spondyloarthritis described as ankylosing spondylitis?
When radiographic changes at the sacroiliac joints are present
What is non-radiographical axial spondyloarthritis?
axial inflammation visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that has not caused substantial erosive damage to the sacroiliac joints
Epidemiology of AS
Men more affected than women
AS most commonly begins between 20 and 30 years of age, with 90-95% of people aged less than 45 years at disease onset
What percentage of patients with AS have HLA-B27 present?
90%
What are the symptoms of inflammatory back pain?
seen in AS
Early morning back stiffness
Improvement of stiffness with exercise
Resolution of symptoms using NSAIDs
Alternating buttock pain
Waking in the second half of the night with back pain
What are the risk factors for AS?
HLA-B27
ERAP1and IL23R genes
positive family history of AS
male sex
What are the criteria for classifying back pain as AS?
Age of onset less than 45
Insidious
Improvement of back pain with exercise
No improvement with rest
Pain at night that improves when getting up
4/5 suggest AS
Key presentations of AS
low back pain and stiffness: improves with movement, worst at night
sacroiliac pain in buttock region
stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes
enthesitis, iritis and uveitis may be present
typically young adult male
What may be visible on examination in AS?
loss of lumbar lordosis
peripheral joint involvement
kyphosis
tenderness at sacroiliac joints
What is seen in advanced AS on a spinal XR?
Bamboo spine
What test can be used to assess spinal mobility?
Schober’s test
What investigations should be done for AS?
Pelvic XR: sacroiliitis
Spine XR
MRI of the spine can show bone marrow oedema in early stages
Bloods: ESR and CRP raised
Differential diagnoses for AS
Other spondyloarthropathies
OA
Infection (e.g., discitis)
Vertebral fracture
Bony metastases
What are the management options for AS?
NSAIDs
Physiotherapy
If NSAIDs fail, TNF-alpha inhibitors drugs
DMARDs can be used for peripheral involvement but don’t help axial
What’s a complication of AS?
Higher risk of CVD
What does an increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein suggest?
Inflammation
Plasma viscosity may also be raised in inflammatory disease
Which ENA antibodies are commonly seen in Sjogrens?
Anti-Ro and anti-La
Which ENA antibodies are commonly seen in SLE?
Anti-SM
Anti-ro and anti-la
What antibodies are specific for systemic sclerosis?
anti-topoisomerase I (anti-Scl 70)