Rheumatology Flashcards
1
Q
Rheumatoid arthritis - general
- Which cells target normal tissue
- Higher risk if do what
- Classic presentation
- Symptom onset - time frame
- X-ray findings (4)
- Blood protein in 70%
- Highly specific antibody
- Other bloods
A
- T cells
- Smoke
- Symmetrical swollen/painful/stiff small joints, worse in morning, long duration (>6 weeks)
- Over weeks/months
- Soft tissue swelling, loss of joint space, joint deformity, juxta-articular osteopaenia
- Rheumatoid factor - associated with more severe
- Anti-CCP
- Normo/microcytic anaemia, high platelets/ESR/CRP
2
Q
Rheumatoid arthritis - management
- Assess disease activity with
- General management - 1st line (+ monitoring)
- Others
- Side effects
- TNF-inhibitors if
- Hydroxychloroquine - what must be checked regularly
- Flare - 1st line
- Analgesia - most useful
A
- DAS28 + CRP monitoring
- DMARD monotherapy - methotrexate* (LFT, FBC)
- Sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine,
- GI upset, raised liver enzymes, bone marrow suppression, oral ulcers, pneumonitis
- 2 DMARDs didn’t work
- Retinal damage
- IM methylprednisolone
- NSAIDs
3
Q
Rheumatoid arthritis - examination
- Joints affected
- Typical distribution
- Joint - pathological processes (4)
- Boutonniere deformity =
- Swan neck deformity =
- Other hand/wrist signs
- Extra-articular manifestations - nodule location (6)
- Lungs (4)
- Cardiovascular
- Other
- Felty syndrome - 2 additional features
A
- Small-medium (MCP, PIP, wrist, MTP)
- Symmetrical
- Tenosynovitis, bursitis, thickened capsule, bone erosion, cartilage destruction
- PIP flexion, DIP hyperextension
- MCP flexion, PIP hyperextension, DIP flexion
- Ulnar deviation, wrist/finger subluxation (radiocarpal), ulnar claw (MCP extension, PIP flexion)
- Elbows, lungs, cardiac, CNS, lymphadenopathy, vasculitis
- Pleural disease, interstitial fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans, organising pneumonia
- IHD, pericarditis, pericardial effusion
- Anaemia, carpal tunnel, peripheral neuropathy, splenomegaly
- RA with splenomegaly + leukopaenia
4
Q
Spondyloarthropathies - general
- Types (4)
- Common features
- Enthesitis - definition, examples (3)
- Pathology - step 1
- Pathology - step 2
- Enteric arthropathy - associations
- Management
- Psoriatic arthritis - joint patterns (5)
- Examination
- Radiology
- Management
- Other HLA-B27-associated disease
A
- Ankylosing spondylitis, enteric arthropathy, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis
- Seronegative (RhF -), HLA B27 associated, ‘axial’, asymmetrical, large joint, mono/oligo pattern, dactylitis
- Inflammation at insertion of a tendon, ligament or capsule in a bone (plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, chostrochondritis)
- Initial inflammation + erosions
- Fibrosis + ossification
- IBD, GI bypass, Whipple’s disease, coeliac disease
- Arthropathy improves if treat bowel, DMARD if resistant
- Symmetrical poly, DIP only, asymmetrical oligo, spinal, mutilans
- Nail changes, dactylitis, aceneiform rash, palmo-plantar pustulosis
- Erosive, ‘pencil in cup’ if severe,
- NSAIDs, sulfasalazine, methotrexate
- Acute anterior uveitis
5
Q
Ankylosing spondylitis
- Classic patient
- Main joints affected (2)
- Extra-skeletal features
- Associated diseases
- Examination
- Diagnosis
- Imaging findings
- Bloods
- Management
A
- Young male - back pain worse at night with early morning stiffness >30 minutes (relieved by exercise)
- Spine, sacroiliac
- Apical fibrosis, anterior uveitis, aortic regurgitation, AV node block achilles tendonitis, amyloidosis, cauda equina, peripheral arthritis (25%, commoner if female)
- Crohn’s/UC
- Progressive loss of spine ROM in all directions, reduced thoracic expansion, sometimes progress to kyphosis + neck hyperextension
- MRI spine + sacroiliac joints
- MRI - marrow oedema (active inflammation), destructive changes (sclerosis, erosions, anklyosis).
CXR can also show sacroiliac joint space narrow/wider, T11-L1 syndesmophytes, causing fusion - Normocytic anaemia, high ESR/CRP
- NSAIDs, TNF inhibitors, exercise (physio imput)
6
Q
Osteoarthritis
- Risk factors
- Secondary predisposing factors (3)
- Classic joint presentation (4)
- Classic history
- Common joints (4)
- Examination - general
- Bouchards nodes - location
- Herberdens nodes - location
- X-ray changes (4)
- Bone screen - 3 components
- Management
A
- Age, obesity, female, occupation, muscle weakness, gout
- Trauma, congenital/developmental, metabolic disease
- Pain/crepitus, stiffness, swelling, deformity
- Pain/crepitus worse on moving, background ache at rest, stiffness post-rest, perceived power loss from pain
- Knee, hip, DIP + thumb CMC
- Joint tenderness, derangement, bony swelling, mild sinovitis, reduced ROM
- PIPJs
- DIPJs
- Loss of joint space, osteophytes, subchondral sclerosis, subchondral cysts
- ALP, Ca2+, phosphate
- Exercise, weight loss, analgesia (regular paracetamol + topical NSAIDs, short course PO + codeine if not enough), hot/cold packs, physio, joint replacement
7
Q
Methotrexate - counselling
- Action
- Timeline
- How to take
- Length of treatment
- Effects - time before
- Tests (+ when)
- Important side effects
- Complications (+ symptoms)
- Contraindications
- Supplementary advice - when to get help
- What else to do to avoid infection
- Avoid/limit what
- When not to take
- IMPORTANT LIFESTYLE ADVICE
A
- Disease modifier, reduced inflammation, improves symptoms
- Once weekly with folic acid at another time
- Tablet usually, sometimes injection
- Long-term
- 4-6 months
- FBC, U+E, LFT (at start, then every 2 weeks until stable, then every 3 months)
- Alopecia, headaches, GI upset (mucosal damage)
- Myelosuppression (infection, anaemia, unexplained bleed/bruise), hypersensitive (hepatitis/pneumonitis/rash)
- Trying for baby (M/F), pregnant, active infection, liver / renal failure, breastfeeding, immunodeficiency.
- Go to ED if myelosuppression or respiratory signs
- Get pneumococcal vaccine before + yearly flu jab
- Limit careful alcohol, no NSAIDs / aspirin / penicillin
- If have infection
- Contraception (M+F) whilst using + 3 months after
8
Q
Vasculitis - general
- Classified using what
- Can be primary, or secondary to what (6)
- General symptoms/test result
- Large vessel - types (3)
- Polymyalgia rheumatica -features
- Investigations
- Differentials (4)
- Management
- Takayasu arteritis - classic presentation
- Other signs
- Association
- Management
A
- Modified Chapel Hill Criteria
- SLE, RA, Hep B/C, HIV, malignancy
- Overwhelming fatigue, raised ESR/CRP, maybe ANCA
- Giant cell, polymyalgia rheumatica, takayasu arteritis
- > 50, F, subacute onset of fatigue, bilateral aching, tenderness, morning stiffness in shoulders, hips, proximal limbs, weight loss, anorexia, depression. Associated mild polyarthritis, tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel. NO weakness.
- CRP up, ESR >40/normal, ALP up in 30%, CK normal
- RA, polymyositis, hypothyroidism, cervical spondylosis
- Prednisolone 15mg PO (much better within 7 days)
- Female, asian, aorta occlusion, absent limb pulse
- Intermittent claudication, malaise, headache, carotid bruit
- Renal artery stenosis
- High dose prednisolone
9
Q
Medium vessel vasculitis - general
- Types (2)
- PAN - what is it
- Associated with what
- Features
- Commonest cause of death
- Diagnostic
- Management
- Kawasaki disease - features (6)
- Management
- Complications
A
- Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), kawasaki disease
- Necrotising vasculitis, thrombosis/aneurysms
- Hep B, middle-aged men
- Fever, malaise, arthralgia, haematuria, renal failure
- Renal artery stenosis, glomerular ischaemia, HTN
- Renal/mesenteric angiography, renal biopsy
- Control BP, steroids if mild, steroid-sparing if severe
- High fever >5 days, conjunctival injection, cracked lips, strawberry tongue, cervical lymphadenopathy, red palms/soles of feet (peel)
- High dose aspirin, IVIG, echo
- Coronary artery aneurysm
10
Q
Small vessel vasculitis - general
- Types (3)
- Which associated with c-ANCA (targets PR3)
- Which associated with p-ANCA (targets MPO)
- Microscopic - signs
- eGPA (Churg-Strauss) - other features
- GPA (Wegener’s) - other features
- Management - to go into remission
- What to add if vital organ/life-threatening
- Maintenance therapy
A
- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangitis
- GPA, sometimes microscopic
- EGPA, microscopic polyangitis
- Rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis, pulmonary haemorrhage
- Asthma, sinusitis, mononeuritis multiplex, p-ANCA
- URT (epistaxis, sinusitis, nasal crusting), LRT (dyspnoea, haemoptysis), vasculitis rash, eyes involved, pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, c-ANCA
- IV cyclophosphamide/ rituximab, glucocorticoid
- Plasma exchange
- Methotrexate / azathioprine / rituximab, + taper glucocorticoids
11
Q
High-dose steroids
- Things to check before starting
A
- GI protection, bone protection, screen for DM, monitor BP/weight
12
Q
Antiphospholipid syndrome
- Associated with (20-30%)
- Characteristics - ‘CLOTS’
- Main antibodies (2)
- Management
A
- SLE
- Coagulation defect (arterial/venous)
Livedo reticularis
Obstetric (recurrent miscarriage)
Thrombocytopaenia (cerebral, renal) - Anti-phospholipid (lupus anticoagulant, cardiolipin)
- Anticoagulation, pregnancy counselling
13
Q
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Autoantibody production against
- Drugs that induce (3)
- Type of arthritis
- Dermatological features (4)
- Cardiovascular features (3)
- Non-infective endocarditis - type, valve affected
- Respiratory features (3)
- Haematological features (4)
- Commonest cause of lupus-related death
- Main serological test
- Antibodies present
- Other bloods
- Management - mild
- Moderate
- Severe
A
- Nuclear material (ANA, homogenous)
- Minocycline, oral contraceptive, hydralazine
- Non-erosive
- Photosensitivity, butterfly rash, hair loss, mucosal ulceration
- Pericarditis, myocarditis, raynaud phenomenon
- Libman-sacks endocarditis, mitral valve
- Pleurisy, pleural effusions, pneumonitis
- Lymphopaenia, neutropaenia, anaemia, antiphosphalipid syndrome
- Glomerulonephritis
- ANA (95%)
- anti-dsDNA (60%), RF (40%), ENA in 20% (Ro, La, Sm, RNP), antiphospholipid (cardiolipin/Lupus anticoagulant)
- Low complement (C3/4/50), positive direct coombs
- NSAIDS / hydroxychloroquinine
- Corticosteroids / azathiprine / methotrexate
- Corticosteroids + cyclophosphamide / tacrolimus
14
Q
Sjogren’s syndrome
- Which glands affected, consequence
- Cause
- Commoner in
- Increased risk of
- Features
- Name for dry eyes
- Associated renal disease
- Type of neuropathy
- Investigations - what present in nearly all patients
- What positive in 70%
- What positive in 30%
- Test to measure tear formation
- Histology
- Other bloods - significant results (2)
A
- Exocrine, so dry mucosal surfaces
- Primary, or secondary to RA/other CTDs
- Women
- Lymphoid malignancy
- Dryness (eyes, mouth, vagina), joints (arthralgia, raynaud’s, myalgia,
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
- Renal tubular acidosis
- Sensory polyneuropathy
- Rheumatoid factor
- ANA, Anti-Ro (if primary)
- Anti-La
- Schirmer’s test: filter paper near conjunctival sac
- Focal lymphocytic infiltration
- Hypergammaglobulinaemia, low C4
15
Q
Raynaud’s syndrome
- Management - 1st line
A
- Nifedipine