Rheum Flashcards
What are red flags forr back pain
Age (<20 or >55) Sphincter disturbance Recet / current infection Malignancy Morning stiffness COnstant or progressive pain Neuro disturbance Bilareral / alternating leg pain FLAWS Thoracic back pain Nocrturnal pain
Ix for lower back pain
MRI only if suspected malignancy / fracture, infection, ask spond
NEVER XR
how do you manage lower back pain
- conservative: physical acrivity and exercise
- medical: NSAID + PPI
consider group exercise programme, manual therapy, radiofrequency denervation, epidural injections
What is RA
chronic inflammatory disease characterised by SIMMETRICAL DEFORMING POLYARTHRITIS
What is epidemiology like in RA
smokers
F>M
middle aged
sx of RA
swollen painful small joints in hands and feet
ulnar deviation of MCPs and radial deviation at wrist
Morning stiffness, better with exercise
late fts of RA (pathomnemonic=
Swan neck
Boutonierre
Z thumb
Ulnar deviation at MCP
What is a boutonniere deformity
PIP is flexed
DIP is hyperextended
What is a swan necjk deformity
PIP is hyperextended
DIP is flexed
What are bedside Ix for RA
DAS 28 (disease activity score 28) Squeeze test postive
why is the DAS 28 called that?
because there are 28 bones in the hand
what is thhr squeeze test
discomfort squeezing across the MCPJ or MTPJ
Bloods for RA
FBC(anaemia, low PMN, high platelets) Raised ESR, CRP RhF + anti-CCP + ANA +
which is the most specific and sentitive antibody for RA
anti-CCP
What antibody correlates severe progressive diseasse?
RhF
what imaging should you get for RA
XR
USS (synovitis)
MRI
CXR
What do you need to monitor in RA
CRP
DAS28
Tender and swollen Joint Count
How do you manage RA
DMARD monotherapy + bridging prednisolone short course
What are DMARDD medication examples
methotrexate, sulfasalazone
what investigations should you get often if on methotrex
regular FBC and LFT (risk of myelosuppression and liver cirrhosis)=
how do you treat RA flare
CORTICOSTEROD + NSAID
what is driving process behind RA
Autoinflamm!
What are RA findings on radiographh
LESS loss of joint space Erosions (periarticular) soft tissue deformity sublazation and deformity
Whhat is driving process behind OA
mechanical wear and tear
what age group is OA most common
elderlhy
what joints are affecte in OA
weightberaring joints (knee, hip) Hands: CMC, DIP, PIP
what joints are affected in RA
Hands (MCP, PIP)
What is pain like in OA
pain following use (because this is mechanical wear!!)
pain improves with rest
unilateral
systemically well
what is pain like in RA
morning stiffness
pain improves with use
bilateral
systemic unwell
what are XR findings in OA
LOSS loss of joint space osteophytes subchondral sclerosis subchondral cysts
what is the aetiology of gout
monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition in and around the joints this causes erosive arthritis
what can precipitate a gout attack
surgery
infection
fasting
diuretics
who is gout common in
men
with HTN, IHD, metabolic syndrome
what are causes of gout
drugs (diuretics, aspirin, cytotoxics)
decreased urate extretion (renal impairment)
increased cell turnover (lymphoma, leukaemia, psoriasis, haemolysis)
Alcohol excess
Purine-rich food (beef, llamb, pork, seafood)
S/S gout
MONOARTHRITIS
(usually on first MTP)
Tophi (urate in pinna and tendons)
radiolucent kidney stones
iinterstitial nephritis
what ix should you get in gout
serum urate (high or normal) XR (shows late findings of punched out erosions "RAT BITES" and reduced joint space) Fine needle aspiration and polarised light microscopy (negatively birefringent, needle shaped crystals)
how do you manage gout ACUTE ATTACK
ACUTE attack: Colchine, NSAID
if renal impairment: steroids
follow up in 4-6 weks
what are contreaindications of NSAIDS
warfarin
PUD
HF
CRF
How do you manage CHRONIC gout
Conservative: WL, avoid alcohol
Urate lowering therapy: allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor)
what is psudogout caused by
calcium pyrophosphate crystals
what joints ar affected by pseudogout
BIGGER joints (knee, wrist, hip)
What will needle aspiration show for pseudogout
positively birefringent, needle shaped crystals
how do you manage pseudogout
analgesia
NSAIDS
steroids
what are the four seronegative spondyloarthropathies
psoriatic arthritis
enteropathic arthritis
alkylosing spondylitis
reactive arthritis
what are seronegative spondyloarthropathies
inflammatory arthritis affecting spine and peripheral joints
with NO RhF production
HLA B27 assdociation
What is alk spond sx
back pain, relieved by exercise morning stiffness costochondritis (anterior chest pain) SOB (pulm fibrosis) eye pain osteoporosis
what is alk spond associated with
AAAAAA Anterior uveitis Apical lung fibrosis aortic regurg AV node block Achilles tendonitis Amyloidosis
who will alk spond occur in
YOUNG MEN
what exam can you do for alk spond
Schober’s test - mark L5, place a finger 5cm above and 5 cm below the mark, get them to bend over
if there is less than a 5cm increase >POSITIVE for AlkSpond
What ix can you get for ALkSpond
XR
MRI
HLA-B27 testing
ESR, CRP (non specific)