Rheumatology diseases Flashcards
What are the symptoms of RA?
Fatigue
Joint stiffness
Joint pain
Minor joint swelling
Fever
Numbness and tingling
Decrease in range of motion
What are the symptoms of Gout?
Acute inflammation of a single joint
Rapid onset
Very painful
What causes gout?
Uric acid deposition in joints - hyperuricaemia
Which drug should you avoid with gout (or a history of gout) and why?
Avoid aspirin - it interferes with uric acid removal
What is a side effect of drug treatments commonly used for gout? (allopurinol)
Apthous ulcers
What joints are commonly affected by osteoarthritis?
Weight-bearing joints - predominantly hips and knees
What is osteomalacia?
Where the osteoid matrix is synthesised properly but not calcified/ mineralisation.
What is osteoporosis?
Deposition of osteoid matrix is correct and so is mineralisation, but the overall mass is reduced.
Reduced quantity of normally mineralised bone.
What are some risk factors for osteoporosis?
AGE - inevitable change with age
Female
Endocrine - oestrogen and testosterone deficiency
Caucasian and Asian women more likely
Patient factors - inactivity, smoking, excess alcohol use, poor calcium diet.
What are the bone effects of Osteomalacia in children vs adults?
Children - “bow” legs - legs bend under pressure of body
Adults - vertebral compression
What does parathyroid hormone do in relation to calcium?
INCREASES calcium release form bone
REDUCES renal calcium excretion
What is the effect of hyper-parathyroidism?
Causes increased bone resorption
What causes primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism?
Primary - tumour causing gland dysfunction - results in HIGH calcium
Secondary - LOW calcium causes it
How does rickets differ from osteomalacia?
Rickets occurs when there is a vitamin D deficiency when the bone is being FORMED.
Osteomalacia occurs when there is a Vit D deficiency POST BONE FORMATION.
Both are structurally the same - soft, un-mineralised bones.
