Rheumatoid Arthritis Flashcards
What is the main stucture involved in Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The synovium
What is defined as Early Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Within 2 years of symptom onset
What are the classical clincial features of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Prolonged Morning stiffness
Involvement of small joints of the hands and feet
Symmetical distribuion
What are the two key auto antibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid Factor
Anti-CCP
Why is Anti-CCP more useful than Rheumatoid factor?
Anti-CCP is 90-99% specific
What is important to know about Anti - CCP?
Can be present before disease
Co-relates with disease activity
Absence does not exclude disease
What are the Cut offs for the DAS28 scoring system?
< 2.6 remission
- 6-3.2 Low disease
- 2- 5.1 Moderate disease
>5.1 Active disease
What is the main stay treatment for Inflammatory Arhropathies
Analgesia
Steroids
Disease modifiying anti rheumatic drugs
What does Seropositive and Seronegative mean?
Seropositive means there are auto-antibodies in the blood
Seronegative means that there are no auto-antibodies in the blood
What are the categories of Arthrities?
Non- inflammatory
Inflammatory - seropostitive and seronegative
What does seropositive mean?
Auto-antibodies in serum
What is the most common form of arthritis?
Osteoarthritis
What factors contribute to your risk of Osteoarthritis?
Hobbies
Abnormal Joint alignmeant
Previous injuries
What are the typical radiograph findings of a osteoarthritic joint?
Loss of joint space
Osteophytes
Sclerosis
Subchondral cysts
What is Sclerosis ?
Hardening of bone
What is the usual management of oseteoarthritis?
Pain relief
simple analgesia and opiates
Surgery if appropriate
Physiotherapy and weight loss
What are the four groups of inflammatory arthropathies?
Seropositive
Seronegative
Infectious
Crystal deposition disorders
What are some classical feauters of Inflammatory Arthritis?
Joint pain and swelling
Morning stiffness which eases off with movement
Synovitis
Raised inflammatory markers
Extra-articular symptoms
What is the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis?
Auto-immune response initiated against synovium
An infllammatory panus forms which then attacks the articular cartilage leading to joint destruction
How is a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis made?
combination of :
Clinical presentation
radiograph findings
serological analysis
What joints in the hand are affected by rheumatiod arthritis?
Wrist joint
MCP and PIP
NOT DIP (no synovium)
What can long standing cervial rheumatoid arthritis cause?
Atlanto-axial subluxation resulting in cervical cord compression
What are Rheumatoid Nodules?
They occour in 25% of people with rheumatoid arthritis
What are the two Auto-antibodies measured in rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid Factor
and
Anti-CCP
Which auto-antibody is more specific in rheumatoid arthritis?
Anti CCP
What perecentage of people with rheumatoid arthritis are Sero-negative?
20%
Other than auto-antibodies, what else might you find in blood tests?
CRP, ESR and Plasma Viscosity is raised.