Rheumatology Flashcards
This is a chronic, slowly progressive, erosive damage to joint surfaces; this loss of articular cartilage causes increasing pain with minimal or absent inflammation
Osteoarthritis
This is the more commonly affected joint in the hand in Osteoarthritis
Distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints
DIP enlargement
Heberden nodes
PIP enlargement
Bouchard nodes
What is the most accurate test for Osteoarthritis?
X-Ray of the affected joint
What would you see in an X-Ray of the affected joint in Osteoarthritis?
Joint space narrowing
Osteophytes
Dense subchondral bone
Bone cysts
What are your treatment options for Osteoarthritis?
- Weight loss and moderate exercise
- Acetaminophen - best initial analgesic
- NSAIDS - if symptoms are not controlled with acetaminophen
- Capsaican cream
- Intraarticular sterods - if other medical therapy does not control pain
- Hyaluronan injection in joint
- Joint replacement if function is compromised
What is the etiology of Gouty arthritis?
defect in urate metabolism with 90% of cases in men. This can be from overproduction or underexcretion
Patient comes in with sudden, excruciating pain, redness, and tenderness of the big toe at night after binge drinking with beer. Temperature is 38C. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Gouty Arthritis
What is the frequently affected site in Gouty Arthritis?
Metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joint of the great toe
This are tissue deposits of urate crystals with foreign body reaction. MOst oftehn it occurs in cartilage, subcutaneous tissues, bone, and kidney. They often take years to develop.
Tophi
This is the most accurate test for Gouty Arthritis?
Aspiration of the joint showing needle-shaped crystals with negative birefringence on polarized light microscopy
White cells count would be 2000 to 50,000/ul and are predominantly neutrophils
What would you expect in the lab result of an acute attack of Gouty Arthritis?
Elevated ESR and Leukocytosis
What would you give for an acute attack of Gout?
- NSAIDS (Ibuprofen)
- Corticosteroids if no response to NSAIDS and if there is renal insufficiency
- Colchicine is used in those who cannot use either NSAIDS or steroids
Give adverse effects of Colchicine
Diarrhea and bone marrow (neutropenia)
What us your drug of choice for hypertension in patients with Gouty Arthritis?
Losartan
What drugs should you stop if patient has gouty arthritis?
Thiazides, Aspirin, Niacin
This drug decreases production of uric acid
Allopurinol
This is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that is used of allopurinol is contraindicated.
Febuxostat
This drug dissolves uric acid by accelerating uric acid metabolism.
Pegloticase
These drugs increase the excretion of uric acid in the kidney (uricosuric). They are contraindicated in renal insufficiency.
Probenecid and Sulfinpyrazone
What is the adverse effect of Allopurinol?
Toxic epidermal necrolysis or Stevens-Johnson syndrome
This disease arise from calcium-containing salts deposit6ing in the articular cartilage. It is associated with diabetes, hypothyroidism, and Wilson disease.
Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease or ‘Pseudogout’
Give 2 risk factors for CPPD
Hemochromatosis
Hyperparathyroidism
How does CPPD diiffer from gout and osteoarthritis in terms of presentation?
Knee and Wrist are affected but not particulary first MCP of foot; the DIP and PIP are not affected
What is the most accurate test for CPPD?
Arthrocentesis
What will you see in the synovial fluid analysis in CPPD?
2,000-50,000 WBCs, positively birefringent rhomboids
What is the best initial therapy for CPPD?
NSAIDS
Where does disk herniations usually occur?
L4/5 and L5/S1 level account for 95% of all disk herniations.
Give the motor deficit, reflex affected, and sensory area affected if the herniation involves the L4 nerve root?
Dorsiflexion of foot
Knee jerk
Inner calf
Give the motor deficit, reflex affected, and sensory area affected if the herniation involves the L5 nerve root?
Dorsiflexion of toe
None
Inner forefoot
Give the motor deficit, reflex affected, and sensory area affected if the herniation involves the S1 nerve root?
Eversion of foot
Ankle jerk
Outer foot
What is the most accurate test for Disk Herniation?
MRI
What is the treatment for cord compression?
Systemic Glucocorticoids
Chemotherapy for Lymphoma
Radiation for many solid tumors
Surgical decompression if steroids and radiation are not effective
What are your treatment options for Epidural abscess?
Steroids - to control acute neurological deficit
Vancomycin or Linezolid until the sensitivity of the organism is known
What is the treatment for Cauda equina syndrome?
Surgical decompression
What is the treatment for disk herniation?
NSAIDs with CONTINUATION of ordinary activities (bed rest is wrong answer)
A man with a history of prostate cancer comes to the emergency department with severe back pain and leg weakness. He has tenderness of the spine, hyperreflexia, and decreased sensation below his umbilicus.
What is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?
a. Dexamethasone
b. MRI
c. X-ray
d. Radiation
e. Flutamide
f. Ketoconazole
g. Finasteride
h. Leuprolide
i. Biopsy
j. Orchiectomy
A. When there is obvious cord compression, the most important step is to begin steroids urgently in order to decrease the pressure on the cord.
Patient is over 60 years old with back pain while walking, radiating into the buttocks and thighs bilaterally. The pain is described as worse when walking downhill, and better when sitting, but the pedal pulses and ankle/brachial index are normal. Unsteady gait while walking also occur. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
What is the diagnostic test for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
MRI
What are the initial treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?
Weight Loss Pain meds (NSAIDs, Opiates, Aspirin)
Patient is typically a young woman with chronic musculoskeletal pain and tenderness with trigger points of focal tenderness at the trapezius, medial fat pad of the knee, and lateral epicondyle. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Fibromyalgia
What is the best initial therapy for Fibromyalgia?
Dual Reuptake Inhibitors such as Duloxetine or Venlafaxine
Steroids are WRONG answer for Fibromyalgia
This is defined as a peripheral neuropathy from the compression of the median nerve as it passes under the flexor retinaculum.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This is done to reproduce pain and tingling with tapping or percussion of the median nerve.
Tinel sign
This is done to reproduce symptoms of carpal tunnel with flexion of the wrists to 90 degrees
Phanel sign
What is/are the most accurate diagnostic test for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Electromyography
Nerve Conduction Testing
What is the best initial therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Wrist Splints
What are other treatment options for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome aside from wrist splints?
Steroid injection is used if splints and NSAIDs do not control symptoms
Surgery can be curative
This is the hyperplasia of the palmar fascia leading to nodule formation and contracture of the fourth and fifth fingers. There is a genetic predisposition and an association with alchoholism and cirrhosis.
Dupuytren Contracture
This treatment helps early Dupuytren contracture.
Collagenase injection
What is the most accurate test for rotator cuff injury?
MRI
This is an autoimmune disorder predominantly of the joints but with many systemic manifestations of chronic inflammation. This is more common in women.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
The is the key to the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
morning stiffness of multiple small, inflamed joints.
What joint is spared in Rheumatoid Arthritis?
DIP
This syndrome is defined as dry eyes, mouth, and other mucous membranes
Sicca syndrome
What is the most common cause of death in Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Coronary Artery Disease
This is a syndrome with the triad of right atrium, splenomegaly, neutropenia
Felty syndrome
This is a syndrome with the triad of right atrium, pneumoconiosis, lung nodules
Caplan syndrome
How would you establish a diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
A total of 6 or more points
Joint involvement (up to 5 points) ESR or CRP (1 point) Duration for longer than 6 weeks (1 point) RF or anti-CCp (1 point)
What should you give to an erosive Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Methotrexate
What does erosive disease means in RA?
Joint space narrowing
Physical deformity of joints
X-ray abnormalities
A patient with long-standing RA is to have coronary bypass surgery. Which of the following is most important prior to surgery?
a. Cervical spine x-ray
b. Rheumatoid factor
c. Extra dose of methotrexate
d. ESR
e. Pneumococcal vaccination
A. RA is associated with C1/C2 subluxation. Cervical spine imaging to detect possible instability of the vertebra is essential prior to the hyperextension of the neck that typically occurs with endotracheal intubation.
What are the adverse effects of Methotrexate?
Liver toxicity
Bone marrow suppression
Pumonary toxicity
If patient with Rheumatoid arthritis is not responding to Methotrexate, what can you give him instead?
Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors (Infliximab, Adalimumab, Etanercept, Golimumab, Certolizumab)
What is the toxicity of anti-TNF drugs?
Reactivation of TB: screen with a PPD prior to their use
Infection
This is an agent that is originally developed for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is effective in RA as a DMARD by removing CD20 positive lymphocytes from circulation. It is used in combination with methotrexate in those not responding to anti-TNF medications.
Rituximab
This agent can be used as a monotherapy as a DMARD in cases of mild disease in which to avoid toxicity of methotrexate.
Hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine is toxic to the _________.
retina
These agents are alternative DMARDs to add to methotrexate if anti-TNF agents do not control disease.
Sulfasalazine
Leflunomide
Abatacept
Anakinra
GIve adverse effects of Sulfasalazine
Bone marrow toxicity
Hemolysis with G6PD
Rash
What are the best initial therapy for the pain of RA?
NSAIDs