Rheumatology Flashcards
What is the presentation of rheumatoid arthritis?
*Joint pain
*Tender, swollen joints
*Early morning stiffness ≥1 hour and joint gelling
*Symmetrical
*Typical sparing of the DIP joint
Investigations for rheumatoid arthritis
*Rheumatoid factor
*Anti CCP
*Radiograph
*Ultrasound
*CRP
*ESR
Criteria for rheumatoid arthritis
*EULAR - score of 6 or more
*2-10 large joints = 1
*1-3 small joints =2
*4-10 small joints=3
*>10 joints, at least 1 small = 5
*Low positive RF or anti CCP (≤3 time upper limit) = 2
*High positive RF or anti CCP = 3
*ongoing for ≥6 weeks = 1
*Abnormal CRP or ESR = 1
What should be checked before commencing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis?
*Hep B and C
*Purified protein derivative (PPD)
*FBC, LFTs
What is the management of rheumatoid arthritis?
*DMARD: sulfasalazine if low disease activity, consider oral prednisolone and NSAID
*DMARD: methotrexate if moderate/severe disease, oral prednisolone, NSAID, COX-2 inhibitor
*Second line: add another DMARD
*Third line: biological therapy (anti-TNF)
*Fourth line: methotrexate + rituximab
What are the complications of rheumatoid arthritis?
*Deformity: swan neck, ulnar deviation, z-thumb, boutonniére
*Work disability
What are the extra articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis?
*Pulmonary fibrosis with pulmonary nodules
*Felty’s syndrome
*Anaemia of chronic disease
*Cardiovascular disease
*Episcleritis and scleritis
*Carpal tunnel syndrome
What is Felty’s syndrome?
*Rheumatoid arthritis
*Neutropenia
*Splenomegaly
NAme two anti-TNF drugs
*Rituximab (monoclonal antibody against CD-20)
*Adalimumab
What is the presentation of osteoarthritis?
*Joint pain and stiffness worsened by activity
*Common joints: knee, hip, hand, spine
*Signs in the hands: Heberden’s nodes, Bouchard’s nodes, squaring at the base of the thumb
Investigation for osteoarthritis
*X ray of affected joints
*CRP and ESR (should be normal)
X ray of osteoarthritis
*Osteophytes
*Joint space narrowing
*Subchondral sclerosis
*Subchondral cysts
When can you diagnose osteoarthritis based on clinical history?
*If >45
*Typical activity related pain
*No early morning stiffness, or less than 30 mins of EMS
What is the management of oseteoarthritis?
*Patient education
*Weight loss
*Physio and occupational therapy and orthotics
*Oral paracetamol, topical NSAID
*Oral NSAID (+PPI)
*Consider opiates
*Intra-articualr steroid injection
*Join replacement (end stage, tried most non-operative)
What are the patterns of psioratic arthritis?
- Symmetrical polyarthritis: hands, wrists, ankles, DIP joints
-Spondylitic pattern: back stiffness, sacroilliitis, atlanto-axial joint involvement
-Assymetrical pauciarthritis: fingers, toes, feet
What are the signs of psioratic arthritis?
*Plaques of psoriasis
*Pitting of the nails
*Onycholysis
*Dactylitis (inflammation of the full finger)
*Enthesitis (inflammation of the insertion point of the tendon into the bone)
What is the screening tool for psoriatic arthritis?
PEST
What are the associations of psoriatic arthritis?
*Eye disease
*Aortitis
*Amyloidosis
What is the presentation of septic arthritis?
*Hot, swollen, painful, restricted joint (knee most common)
*Acute presentation
*May have fever
What is the most common cause of septic arthritis?
Staph aureus
Investigation for septic arthritis
*Synovial fluid microscopy /culture/WCC
*Gram stain and polarising microscopy of synovial fluid
*Blood culture
*White cell count
*ESR and CRP
What is the management of septic arthritis?
*Joint aspiration
*IV antibiotics for 4-6 weeks
*Surgery if no response within 48 hours
What is gout?
Hyperuricaemia and deposition of urate crystals causing attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis, tophi around the joints, renal glomerular, tubular and interstitial disease and uric acid urolithiasis
What is the presentation of gout?
*Rapid onset of severe pain
*Joint stiffness
*Swelling and joint effusion
*Tenderness
*Tophi
What is the presentation of gout?
*Rapid onset of severe pain
*Joint stiffness
*Swelling and joint effusion
*Tenderness
*Tophi
What are the risk factors for gout?
- Male
*Age
*Aspirin/ciclosporin/tacrolimus/pyrazinmide
*Alcohol
*Consumption of meat or seafood
What are the investigations for gout?
*Arthrocentesis with synovial fluid analysis: WBC>2x10^9, negatively birefringent needle shaped crystals under polarised light, monosodium urate crystals
*Serum uric acid level
What is the acute management of gout?
*NSAIDs, corticosteroid (intra-articular or parenterally) or colchicine
*Cold packs
What is the long term management of gout?
*Decreased purine and fructose intake
*Weight loss of max 1kg/month
*Exercise
*Decrease alcohol intake
*Allopurinol if ≥2 attacks in 12 months, presence of tophi, renal impairment, on diuretics, older than 40, urate>500micro mol/l
When would you prescribe allopurinol for gout?
≥2 attacks in 12 months, presence of tophi, renal impairment, on diuretics, older than 40, urate>500micro mol/l
What is the presentation of pseudogout?
*Hot, swollen, stiff joint (most often knee)
*Joint effusion
Investigation for pseudogout
*Arthrocentesis +synovial fluid analysis
*Rhomboid shaped positively birefringent crystal under polarised light
*X ray: chondrocalcinosis (thin white line in the middle of the joint space)
*Serum calcium: normal or elevated
*Serum parathyroid hormone: excludes hyperparathyroidism
What is the management of pseudogout?
*NSAIDs
*Colchicine
*Joint aspiration
*Steroid injection
*Oral steroids
What is giant cell arteritis?
*Temporal arteritis
*Systemic vasculitis of medium and large arteries
What are the risk factors for giant cell arteritis?
Female, >50
What is the presentation of giant cell arteritis?
*Headache, typically unilateral and around the forehead/temple
*Scalp pain or tenderness
*Aching, stiffness, claudication in extremities, tongue or jaw
*Blurred or double vision, painless sight loss
*May be associated with systemic symptoms
*Tenderness/thickening, or nodularity of superficial temporal arteries
Investigations for giant cell arteritis
*CRP
*ESR
*FBC
*Vascular ultrasonography or temporal artery biopsy (multi nucleated giant cells)
What is the management of giant cell arteritis
*Oral prednisolone 40-60mg per day straight away if suspected, taper this down with aim to stop steroids by 12-18 months
*Methotrexate or tocilizumab if relapse
What are the complications of giant cell arteritis?
*Vision loss
*cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
What is the presentation of polymyalgia rheumatica
*Bilateral shoulder pain that radiates to the elbow
*Bilateral pelvic girdle pain
*Worse with movement
*Interferes with sleep
*Stiffness for at least 45 minutes in the morning
*Constitutional symptoms: fever, anorexia, malaise, weight loss, low mood
Investigation for polymyalgia rheumatica
*Elevated CRP
*Elevated ESR
*FBC
What is the management for polymyalgia rheumatica?
*15mg prednisolone per day, if no response after 1 week, unlikely to be polymyalgia rheumatica
*Once symptoms are fully controlled, decrease to 12.5mg for 3 weeks then 10mg for 4-6 weeks, then reduce by 1mg every 4-8 weeks
What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?
*Older age
*Female
*Post menopausal (oestrogen protective)
*Decreased mobility
*Alcohol
*Smoking
*Long term corticosteroids
*SSRIs
*PPIs
*Anti-epileptics
*Aromatase inhibitors