Rheumatology Flashcards
Differentials for an acute monoarthritis
Gout, pseudogout, pyogenic septic arthritis, reactive arthritis, haemarthrosis, osteomyelitis, monoarticular rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis
Define Adult-onset Still’s disease and give its features
An idiopathic autoinflammatory condition which commonly presents in young adulthood - characterised by a triad of arthritis (commonly knees, wrists and fingers), spiking fevers and a transient salmon-pink maculopapular rash
Adult-onset Still’s disease investigations
Hyperferritinaemia (1500 to >10,000), marked raised inflammatory markers, leucocytosis w/ neutrophilia
What are the Yamaguchi classification criteria?
Criteria used to diagnose Adult-onset Still’s disease - need to meet 5 criteria (including 2 major):
Major:
- Fever >39 for more than 7 days
- Arthralgias or arthritis for >2 wks
- Characteristic rash
- Leucocytosis w/ >80% neutrophils
Minor:
- Sore throat
- Lymphadenopathy
- Hepato/splenomegaly
- Raised aminotransferase
- -ve RF and ANA
Exclusion:
- Malignancy
- Infections
- Other CNT disorders
- Familial autoinflammatory conditions
- Drug reactions
Adult-onset Still’s disease management
NSAIDs and aspirin for mild disease, low-dose corticosteroids added when that isn’t enough
Severe disease w/ life-threatening organ manifestations require high-dose pulsed IV corticosteroids
Biological therapies = IL-1, TNF-alpha or IL-6 blockers
Ankylosing spondylitis features
- Inflammatory back pain - often early morning stiffness (gets better w/ activity), w/ tenderness of the sacroiliac joints and limited range of spinal motion on examination
- Enthesitis (inflammation of where ligaments attack to bone) - esp of Achilles tendon and plantar fascia
- Peripheral arthritis (1/3 or pts) - hips and shoulders
- Extra-articular involvement = anterior uveitis, aortitis and aortic regurgitation, upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis, IgA nephropathy
Ankylosing spondylitis physical examination findings
- Restricted movements in lumbar spine
- Dorsal kyphosis of the thoracic spine may be present as the disease progresses - can lead to reduced chest expansion
- C-spine movements can be globally reduced, with the neck forced into flexion by dorsal kyphosis
Ankylosing spondylitis imaging results
Pelvic X-ray:
- Sacroiliitis (better seen on MRI)
- Ankylosis or fusion of sacroiliac joint is seen in advanced disease
Lumbar X-ray:
- Squaring of vertebral bodies
- Syndesmophyte formation (bony bridges) between adjacent vertebrae + ossification of the spinal ligaments
- Complete fusion of the vertebral column (bamboo spine) in advanced disease
Ankylosing spondylitis management
Conservative: - critical to improve and maintain posture, flexibility and mobility
- Exercise
- Physio
Medical:
- NSAIDs + PPI 1st line
- DMARDs (sulfasalazine and methotrexate) for pts w/ peripheral joint disease - these don’t improve spinal inflammation
- Local steroid injection
- Biologics - anti-TNF 1st line, ant0IL17 2nd line
Antiphospholipid syndrome features
Mneumonic= CLOT
C = clots - usually venous thromboembolisms, but can be arterial
L = Livedo reticularis - a mottled, lace-like appearance on the skin of the lower limbs
O = obstetric loss
T = Thrombocytopenia
Antiphospholipid syndrome management
Prophylactic lose-dose aspirin
Control of thromboembolic RFs
In pts who have a venous thromboembolism = life long warfarin is used with a INR target of 2-3
How long should mechanical back pain take to clear up?
6 weeks
Red flag symptoms for back pain
- New onset when aged <20 or >55
- Thoracic or cervical spine pain
- Pain is progressive and not relieved by rest - suggestive of infection or cancer
- Spinal (rather than paraspinal) tenderness
- Early morning stiffness >30 min = ankylosing spondylitis
- Abnormal LL neuro signs = cord compression
- Trauma or sudden onset pain in pts w/ RFs for osteoporosis = possible vertebral fracture
Define Behcet’s disease
A rare multiorgan disease caused by systemic vasculitis of arteries and veins of all sizes, hypercoagulability and neutrophil hyperfunction - has an unknown cause, but is more common in Turks, Mediterranean’s and the Japanese
Behcet’s disease features
- Recurrent oral/genital ulceration
- Anterior or posterior uveitis
- Erythema nodosum
- Vasculitis
- Acneiform lesions
- Superficial thrombophlebitis at venepuncture sites
- Pathergy = pustules at sites of puncture or minor trauma
- Arthralgias and arthritis
Uncommon:
- Neuro involvement = cerebral vasculitis, venous sinus thrombosis
- Reso involvement = pulmonary vasculitis, PE, pulmonary haemorrhage
- GI vasculitis = abdo pain, mesenteric angina, constipation
- Cardiovascular involvement = MI, deep vein thrombosis
Behcet’s disease investigations
No specific test - more of a diagnosis of exclusion/clinical signs
Pathergy test (skin prick using a sterile needle then reassessing 48hrs later to see if papule/pustule has formed) can be used but is unreliable
Behcet’s disease management
Depends on the pt - some need immunosupression, some only need cover during flare-ups
Medication used = steroids, colchicine, azathioprine, methotrexate, biologics
Gout crystals - appearance and make up
Negatively birefringent, needle-shaped crystals - made up of monosodium urate
Pseudogout crystals - appearance and make up
Positively birefringent, rhomboid shaped crystals - made up of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate
What is the double-contour sign?
The most sensitive US finding for gout = a hyperechoic irregular band over the superficial margin of the articular cartilage
Define Enteric arthritis
An inflammatory arthritis associated w/ IBD - can occur before, during or after the diagnosis of IBD
Patterns of Enteric arthritis
Axial spondyloarthritis:
- Gradual onset lower back pain and stiffness, worse in the mornings and improves w/ exercise
- Sacroiliac tenderness reduced ROM and reduced chest expansion on examination
Acute peripheral arthritis of IBD:
- Asymmetric, oligoarticular arthritis predominantly of the LL
- Often transient and migratory join inflammation - episodes are usually self-limiting
- Strongly associated w. flares of IBD
Chronic peripheral arthritis of IBD:
- Chronic, polyarticular inflammation w/ disease independent of IBD activity
- Usually symmetrical and most commonly affects the metacarpophalangeal joints, knees and ankles
Enteric arthritis investigations
Bloods:
- Raised inflammatory markers
- RF and ANA -ve
- p-ANCA +ve seen in 55-70%
Radiology:
- Chronic peripheral arthritis = may show erosions of affected joints
- Axial disease = similar to ankylosing spondylitis
Enteric arthritis management
DMARDs for peripheral disease
TNF-alpha/IL12/IL23 inhibitors for axial disease
Define Eosinophilic granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis
A granulomatous small and medium-vessel vasculitis
Eosinophilic granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis features
Criteria:
- Adult onset asthma
- Eosinophilia >10% on peripheral bloods
- Paranasal sinusitis
- Pulmonary infiltrates
- Histological confirmation (small granulomas w/ necrotising vasculitis + eosinophilic infiltrates)
- Mononeuritis multiplex or polyneuropathy
Eosinophilic granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis management
Glucocorticoids
Familial Mediterranean fever features
- Recurrent fevers
- Abdo pain (peritonitis)
- Pleuritic pain (pleuritis)
- LL arthritis
- Orchitis
- Erysipeloid rash
Symptoms usually last 1-3 days and are slef-limiting
Familial Mediterranean fever investiagations
Rule out other causes + genetic testing for MEFV gene
Familial Mediterranean fever management
Symptomatic treatment during attacks
Long-term colchicine reduces risk of developing AA amyloidosis
Define Felty syndrome
A rare variant of RA, defined as the presence of 3 key features = highly active RA (often w/ extra-articular disease), splenomegaly and neutropenia
Define Fibromyalgia
A chronic, complex and widespread pain syndrome
Fibromyalgia features
- Cardinal symptom = chronic, widespread body pain (constant dull ache)
- Fatigue
- Cognitive disturbance (problems w/ focus and memory AKA fibro fog)
- Mood disorders
- Sleep disturbances (including insomnia)
What USS sign is characteristic of Giant cell arteritis?
Halo sign on temporal artery USS
What is the definitive investigation for Giant cell arteritis?
Temporal artery biopsy - 3-5 cm to avoid missing skip lesions
Giant cell arteritis management
High dose prednisolone (40-60mg) ASAP to avoid blindness and stroke - followed by weaning program
Give bisphosphonates + PPIs due to prolonged steroid regime
Can give low-dose aspirin to decrease risk of stroke and blindness
Types of Gout
- Acute gout
- Tophaceous gout - usually on a background of longstanding recurrent gout, have tophi on the4 pinnae or on pressure points
- Nephrolithiasis = uric acid renal stones
- Uric acid nephropathy
Acute pseudo/gout management
- NSAIDs (500mg BD of Naproxen or 120mg BD of Etoricoxib)
- Colchicine 500 micrograms BD
- Intra-articular corticosteroids
- Oral corticosteroids (Prednisolone 30mg OD for 5-7 days)
Gout prophylaxis
- Lifestyle changes
- Avoiding triggers
- Review meds which may cause hyperuricaemia (Thiazide and loop diuretic, low-dose salicylates, chemo)
- If possible swap anti-HTN drugs to losartan or amlodipine which have urate-lowering effects
- Allopurinol (start 2 wks after an attack as can cause another attack is started before then) if fit criteria - aim for urate levels <300
Indications for prophylactic allopurinol in gout
- More than 2/3 attacks per year
- Chronic tophaceous gout
- X-ray changes show chronic destructive joint disease
- Urate nephrolithiasis
- Severe and disabling polyarticular attacks
- Inherited syndrome s(e.g. Lesch-Nyhan)
Define Granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis
A small and medium-vessel systemic vasculitis
Granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis features
URT involvement:
- Chronic sinusitis
- Epsitaxis/nasal discharge/mucosal ulcerations
- Saddle-nose deformity - secondary to perforation of the nasal septum and disruption of the supporting cartilage of the nose
LRT involvement:
- Cough
- Haemoptysis
- Pleuritis
p-ANCA/c-ANCA glomerulonephritis:
- Haematuria
- Proteinuria
Granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis investigations
Bloods:
- ANCA +ve
- Anaemia
- Leucocytosis
- Raised CRP/ESR
Urine:
- Haematuria
- Proteinuria
- Cellular casts
- CXR = Bilateral nodules, cavities and infiltrates
Renal biopsy = Pauci-immune, focal, segmental necrotising glomerulonephritis
Granulomatosis w/ polyangiitis management
- High-dose glucocorticoids (1st line)
- Cyclophosphamide
- Rituximab
- Plasma exchange
- Azathioprine/methotrexate/rituximab for maintenance
Define Henoch-Schonlein Purpura
Small-vessel vasculitis commonly occurring in children - often following a resp tract infection
Henoch-Schonlein Purpura features
- Arthralgia/arthritis
- Abdo pain
- Palpable purpura on buttocks and extensors
- Renal disease (microscopic haematuria or an isolated proteinuria)
Henoch-Schonlein Purpura investigations
Skin biopsy of lesions - will show presence of neutrophils and monocytes
Henoch-Schonlein Purpura management
- Analgesia
- Corticosteroids
- Refer to renal if renal involvement