Rheumatology Flashcards
What is rheumatoid inflammation?
The movement of fluid and white blood cells into extra-vascular tissue
What are the 4 pillars of inflammation?
Red, painful, hot, swollen
Does pain ease with use in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Inflammatory
Is there stiffness in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Both
If stiffness prolonged in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Inflammatory
Is there swelling in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Inflammatory
Is the joint hot and red in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Inflammatory
Is the patient typically older in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Degenerative
Is psoriasis associated with inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Inflammatory
Does the pain respond to NSAIDs in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Inflammatory
Is there clicks/ clunks in joints in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Degenerative
Does pain increase with use in inflammatory or degenerative problems?
Degenerative
What would pain at rest and at night be indicative of?
Tumour
Infection
Fracture
What would pain and stiffness in joints in the morning, at rest and with use be indicative of?
Inflammatory causes
Infection
What would pain on use at the end of the day be indicative of?
Osteoarthritis
What would pain and paresthesia in dermatomal distribution, worsened by specific activity be indicative of?
Neuralgic pain
Root or peripheral nerve compression
Where does osteoarthritis typically affect?
First weight bearing joints= Spine and base of spine, knee, ankle
Then smaller joints= Base of thumb, first metatarsal, metacarpals
What would discrete episodes of pain in the base of the big toe with complete recovery in-between be indicative of?
Gout
What is ESR?
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
What causes ESR to raise?
- Inflammation/ infection
- SLE
What is CRP?
Acute phase protein
Changes very rapidly in response to inflammation/ infection
What would a high CRP and normal ESR show?
There is inflammation/ infection that is recent onset
What is HLA B27?
An antigen presenting cell encoded by MHC on chromosome 6. If it is +ve it is associated with autoimmune disease
What cells are in the media of a vessel cell wall?
Vascular smooth muscle
What are the layers of a vessel wall?
Intima
Media
Adventitia
What histological changes occur in giant cell arteritis?
Cells blur the edges between the media and adventitia so there are no longer clear differentiations. Also luminal narrowing.
How does immune activation lead to ischaemia, infarction and aneurysm?
There are activated immune cells which infiltrate vessel walls and lead to direct damage, leading to smooth muscle cell remodelling. This causes weakening and occlusion of the blood vessel.
What are the two ways of classifying vasculitis ?
- Vessel size
- Consensus classification
What are the two diseases of large-vessel vasculitis?
- Takayasu arteritis
- Giant cell arteritis
Name a vascular disease that is ANCA associated?
- Microscopic polyangitis
- Wegener’s (Granulomatosis with polyangiitis)
What are the two diseases of medium-vessel vasculitis?
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Kawasaki disease
What is the commonest immune complex vasculitis?
IgA Vasculitis
What is the most common vasculitis?
Giant cell arteritis
What are the complications of GCA?
Strokes, blindness (A stroke affecting the retinal vessels)
How is GCA confirmed?
Temporal artery biopsy or ultrasound
How is GCA treated?
Oral prednisolone which is tapered off over 12-18 months
IV methylprednisolone if visual symptoms persist
What are some complications of steroid use?
- Steroid induced diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Immunosuppression= Infection
- Peptic ulceration
- Weight gain
A 73 year old male reports fatigue, sore throat, headache at each temples, and two superficial temporal lumps. He also has a tender neck. He has a raised CRP and raised WBC. His CT was all normal. A week later he awoke with no vision in left eye, and a severe headache. The disc was pale. What is it likely to be and what test should be ordered to confirm. What should his treatment be?
Giant cell arteritis
- Temporal artery biopsy to view cellular infiltrates and breaking up of the internal elastic lamina
- Start him on high dose oral prednisolone but with oral Ad Cal and lansoprazole to prevent GI/Bone issues
How is prosthetic infection diagnosed?
- Histology
- Examination
- X rays
- FBC, ESR, CRP
- Microbiology culture following aspiration (diagnostic)
- Alpha defensin blood test
How is prosthetic infection treated?
- Antibiotic treatment after aspiration
- Debridement and implant retention
- Excision arthroplasty
- Exchange arthroplasty
What is meant by “radical debridement” in relation to prosthetic infection?
Complete surgical removal of any infected tissue/material to leave a sterile environment.
What is good musculoskeletal health?
Healthy/ disease-free muscles, joints and bone with the ability to carry out a wide range of physical activities, both effectively and symptom free
How prevalent are MSK conditions?
30% of England’s population
List some modifiable risk factors for MSK conditions?
Vit D/ Calcium
BMI in correct range
Ensure safety within physical activity (warm ups, not lifting too heavy items)
Injury prevention- good lighting, hand rails
List some accessible community facilities for physical activity?
Parks
Cycle paths
Swimming pools
List some supervised physical activity facilities?
Walking clubs
Aqua aerobics
Dance clubs
Joint pain can be categorised into inflammatory and non-inflammatory causes. Give 3 inflammatory and 2 non-inflammatory causes of joint pain
Inflammatory:
- Autoimmune (1) / RA, Spondylo-arthropathies (1) Connective Tissue Disease (1)
- Crystal Arthritis (1)
- Infection (1)
Non-inflammatory:
- Degenerative (1) OA (1) other degenerative example (1)
- Non-degenerative (1) Fibromyalgia (1) other non-degenerative example (1)
What clinical features that are found in the hands of a patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis?
- Ulnar Deviation (1)
- Swan neck deformity (1)
- Distal Interphalangeal join sparing (1)
- Z-thumb (1)
- Swollen Joints (1
A patient is HLA-B27+, give 3 differential diagnoses.
- Ankylosing spondylitis (1)
- Psoriatic arthritis( 1)
- Iriitis/ Acute anterior uveitis (1)
- Reactive arthritis (1)
- Enteropathic arthritis (1)
Give a pharmacological treatment for a patient with osteoporosis?
- Bisphosphonate (1) Alendronate (1) Alendronic acid (1)
- Denosumab (1)
- Teriparatide (1)
- Which antibody is specific for SLE?
- Double-stranded DNA (1) / Anti-dsDNA (1
Which condition must always be ruled out in an acutely inflamed joint, and how could you investigate for this if you suspected it?
- Septic Arthritis (1)
- Joint aspiration for snynovial fluid (1) MC&S (1)
What is the medical term given to a distal interphalangeal joint swelling in a patient with Osteoarthritis?
Heberden’s Nodes
Greg comes into your GP Clinical complaining of an aching pain in his hand and arm. The pain is worse at night and has paraesthesia in his thumb, he tells you the pain is relieved if he hangs his hand over the edge of the bed. Greg has a wife and 3 children which his supports by working full time as a painter-decorator.
What condition does Greg have?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
What nerve is affected in carpal tunnel syndrome?
Median nerve
Molly, a 5-year-old child presents to A&E with a fracture in the distal humerus. It passes through the growth plate and epiphysis yet spares the metaphysis. She is in a lot of pain and scared because this is the first time she’s ever been in hospital.
What classing system is used for these types of fractures? What stage is Molly’s fracture at?
Salter-Harris Classification
Class 3
Molly, a 5-year-old old child presents to A&E with a fracture in the distal humerus. It passes through the growth plate and epiphysis yet spares the metaphysis. She is in a lot of pain and scared because this is the first time she’s ever been in hospital.
Do you suspect that Molly’s injuries are caused by Non-Accidentally Injury. Justify your answer
We should always be conscious of NAI as a potential cause (1) but in this case it is unlikely
- First time in hospital
- Site is fairly typical for child injury (Ribs and back are more suspicious)
Jean, a 63-year-old woman, has just had a DEXA Scan. Her results show a T score of -2.2 and Z score of -1.5.
Explain what is meant by a T / Z score
- T= Bone density (score/standard deviations away from) compared to a 25 year-old of the same gender (1)
- Z= bone density compared to the average for their age of the same gender (1)
What would a T score of -2.2 indicate?
Osteopenia (Osteoporosis < -2.5)
What does a FRAX score calculate?
The risk of fracture in the next ten years
Give an example of when you might prescribe allopurinol?
Long term (1) treatment of Gout (1)
- Kidney stones (1) prevent uric acid/calcium oxalate (1)
- Hyperuricaemia (1) e.g in Tumour Lysis Syndrome (1)
How does allopurinol work?
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor
- Xanthine oxidase metabolises xanthine into uric acid
- Therefore inhibiting XO lowers plasma uric acid (1) and precipitation of uric acid in joints/kidneys
What medication would you prescribe for a patient with temporal arteritis?
Corticosteroid= Prednisolone