Rheumatology - Hurley Flashcards
what is rheumatoid arthritis?
chronic inflammatory d/o that MAINLY attacks joints producing INFLAMMATORY SYNOVITIS
what does rheumatoid arthritis produce?
inflammatory synovitis
what is rheumatoid arthritis highlighted by?
severe pain
name of rheumatoid arthritis comes from?
rheumatic fever
what organs (besides joints) can RA affect?
lungs, pericardium, pleura, sclera
what cells play a role in RA?
APC, B cells, MHC, CD4+ T cells
what does RA’s pain intensity and deterioration of joint structures lead to?
deformities and disabilities
what race is affected more with RA? smokers or non-smokers affected more? gender?
Native Americans
Smokers more
Women 3x more
what happens to synovial membrane in RA?
becomes hyperplastic
gets infiltrated with immune and inflammatory cells (macrophages, B and T cells, dendritic cells, plasma cells)
what cells play a role in the continuous inflammation of RA?
increased level of cytokines
pts with what genetic sequence have higher RA and anti-CCP positivity? what MGC class is it?
HLA-DRB: “shared epitope” -> MHC class 2
what is synovitis?
inflammation of the synovial membrane that lines the joints and tendon sheaths
what happens to joints with synovitis?
joints become swollen, tender, warm, and stiff -> limited movement
does RA affect multiple or single joints?
MULTIPLE
what joints is RA commonly seen in?
small joints of hands, feet, cervical spine
larger joints - shoulders and knees
where is RA NOT seen in the back?
lower back
joints in RA are affected in what pattern?
symmetrical fashion
what is characteristic of RA?
rheumatoid nodule that’s subcutaneous
what is the central of the rheumatoid nodule like?
central area is of fibroid necrosis (pattern looks like fibrin)
what surrounds the central necrosis in the rheumatoid nodule?
layer of palisading macrophages and fibroblasts
how big is the rheumatoid nodule and where is it found?
3mm-few cm in diameter
found over bony prominences
- the olecranon
- the calcanea tuberosity
- the meta-carpophalangeal joints (hands)
sx’s of cervical spine affected by RA?
neck stiffness and general loss of motion
sx’s of shoulders affected by RA?
loss of motion
sx’s of elbow affected by RA?
evidence synovitis - palpate fullness and thickening in the radiohumeral joint