Rheumatology Part 2- Paulson (exam 2) Flashcards
Fibromyalgia: Describe.
A chronic clinical syndrome of generalized musculoskeletal pain.
-Controversial condition
“real disease” vs. psychological disease vs. medicalization of socially constructed entity?
Fibromyalgia: Associated symptoms?
- Fatigue
- Disordered sleep
- Multiple somatic symptoms
- Cognitive problems
- Psychiatric symptoms.
Fibromyalgia: Epidemiology?
- Very common
- Especially among those visiting rheumatology and pain management providers.
- Much more common in women
- Especially 20-50
- Estimates of percentage affected range from 2-10%
Fibromyalgia: Etiology?
- Unknown
- Genetic basis
- Psychosocial factors
- Neuroendocrine dysfunction
- ANS dysfunction
- STRESSFUL EVENTS
- Viruses/Infections
Fibromyalgia: Pathophysiology? dont memorize
- Unknown cause
- Disorder of altered pain processing & regulation: –“Central sensitization”
- -Allodynia & hyperalgesia
- Functional MRI and PET studies
- Genetic basis
- Psychosocial factors
- Neuroendocrine dysfunction
- Autonomic nervous system dysfunction
- Stressful events
- Viruses/infections
Fibromyalgia: Describe allodynia.
Allodynia refers to central pain sensitization (increased response of neurons) following normally non-painful, often repetitive, stimulation. Allodynia can lead to the triggering of a pain response from stimuli which do not normally provoke pain.
Fibromyalgia: Describe hyperalgesia.
Hyperalgesia is an enhanced pain response. It can result from either injury to part of the body or from use of opioid painkillers. When a person becomes more sensitive to pain as a result of taking opioid medication, it’s called opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH).
Fibromyalgia: What imaging studies have supported the little we understand about fibromyalgia?
- Functional MRI and PET studies.
Fibromyalgia: Presentation?
- Chronic pain/stiffness (generalized): *Involves all 4 quadrants of the body
- *Pain often described as worst around neck, shoulders, low back, and hips
- Common associated complaints
- Onset often after acute injury, infection, childbirth, persistent stress, exposure to toxins.
Fibromyalgia: Common associated complaints?
- Sleep disturbance
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Paresthesias
- Cognitive disturbance
- HA
- Depression
- Anxiety
- IBS
- Dry mouth
- Pelvic pain
- Bladder symptoms
- Tinnitus
- Multiple chemical hypersensitivities
- TMJ issues
Fibromyalgia: What is a unique physical exam associated with fibromyalgia?
- Exam of tender points.
Fibromyalgia: Describe the exam of tender points.
- Exam is Normal apart from pain at tender points.
- Apply 4 kg/cm^2 to the points (apply enough pressure to whiten the nail bed of the fingertip of the examiner)
Fibromyalgia: What is the ACR( american college of rheum) Classification Criteria for tender points?
- 9 pairs (18 total) of tender points.
- 1190 Dx criteria: 11/18 tender points and symptoms of widespread pain (above and below the waist, and both sides of the body)
- Note control locations.
Fibromyalgia: When performing an exam of tender points, where are the control locations?
- Thumb
- Mid-forearm
- Forehead
Fibromyalgia: Where are the anterior tender points for fibromyalgia?
- Under sternomastoid m.
- Near 2nd costochondral junction
- 2 cm distal to lateral epicondyle
- Prominence of the greater trochanter.
- Medial fat pad of the knee.
Fibromyalgia: What are the posterior tender points for fibromyalgia?
- Insertion of the suboccipital m.
- Mid-upper trapezius m.
- Origin of the supraspinatus m.
- Upper outer quadrant of the buttock.
Fibromyalgia: Labs/Imaging?
- Generally of little benefit to making the dx.
- Fibromyalgia itself doesn’t cause any abnormalities.
- CBC, ESR, CRP, TSH would be reasonable initial lab tests
Fibromyalgia: DDx
RA SLE Polymyositis PMR OSA Hypothyroidism Many, many more
Fibromyalgia Initial approach/initial tx:
Initial approach: Pt education Good sleep hygiene (poor sleep often causes worsening pain) Exercise (low-impact aerobic activity) CBT?? Meds (next slide)
Fibromyalgia Tx: What medications are not helpful for these patients?
**Not helpful:
Opioids
Corticosteroids
NSAIDs
Fibromyalgia Tx: What medications are associated with helping these patients?
- TCAs
- Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
- SNRIs
- SSRIs
- Anticonvulsants
Fibromyalgia Tx: Examples of TCAs?
- **Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- desipramine (Norpramin)
Fibromyalgia Tx: Examples of SNRIs?
- **duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- minacipran (Savella)
Fibromyalgia Tx: Examples of SSRIs?
- fluoxetine (Prozac)
Fibromyalgia Tx: Examples of anticonvulsants?
- **pregabalin (Lyrica)
- gabapentin (Neurontin)
Fibromyalgia Tx: What are appropriate referrals for these patients?
-Studies show patients seem to do well with close PCP follow up
-If needed, can refer to:
Psychiatry
Physical Therapy
Rheumatology
Pain Management
Alternative: massage, acupuncture, etc
Fibromyalgia: Prognosis?
- Chronic, but not considered progressive.
- Minimal or no improvement in symptoms despite variety of treatment modalities.
- Pts do well with close PCP follow up
- Most patients are able to work
- Female gender, low socioeconomic status, unemployment, depression, and obesity associated with worse outcomes
PMR: What does PMR stand for?
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
GCA: What does GCA stand for?
giant cell arteritis
Describe PMR
Inflammatory condition associated with pain and stiffness of the hips and shoulders
Describe GCA
aka Temporal Arteritis: headache, jaw claudication, and visual symptoms associated with elevated ESR that can cause blindness
Frequently GCA and PMR ____
coexist
-Thought to represent a spectrum of the same disease
Epidemiology/Risk factors for GCA and PMR:
- Almost always patients >50 years
- Increases with increasing age
- Women»_space;men
- Highest in Scandinavian populations & northern Europeans
- Less common in Japanese, Black, and northern Indians
- *PMR much more common than GCA
_____ increases GCA risk
smoking
______ decreases risk of GCA
Diabetes
Pathophysiology of GCA/PMR:
- Both PMR and GCA are assoc. with _____
- affected joints have..?
- Unknown cause
- Both PMR and GCA are associated with polymorphisms of HLA-DR alleles.
- Affected joints have lymphocytes and monocytes causing inflammation in PMR
In GCA, there is infiltration of inflammatory cells into the vessels causing a ________
-**vasculitis
MC sites of GCA?
MC in the thoracic aorta, large cervical arteries, and branches of the external carotid arteries
In GCA, areas of active inflammation can ______
thrombose
-as well as fragmentation of the elastic lamina
Clinical Manifestations- PMR
- **Pain and stiffness in the shoulder and pelvic areas
- -Usually shoulders come first
- -Morning stiffness & stiffness after activity. “gel phenomenon”
- -Movement worsens pain
- -Impaired range of motion
- -Should have normal muscle strength
- Nonspecific systemic symptoms: low-grade fever, malaise, weight loss
- -Can be the first symptoms
- Bursal inflammation/synovitis
- -Wrists, knees, sternoclavicular joints can have swelling and/or pitting edema
Classic Sx of GCA:
**headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, visual changes (esp. amaurosis fugax or diplopia)
amaurosis fugax=
transient vision loss (NEVER normal!!)
Vision loss in GCA usually stems from?
- anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
- -Occlusive arteritis of the posterior ciliary artery (branch of ophthalmic artery)
- Chief blood supply to the optic nerve
About half of GCA Pts have ____
PMR
Constitutional Sx of GCA
fever, fatigue, weight loss, malaise
Atypical Sx of GCA
respiratory symptoms (dry cough), neurologic symptoms, otolaryngeal symptoms
Physical Exam-GCA
- Might look ill overall
- Temporal artery can be thickened, tender, prominent, or normal appearing
-Funduscopic exam:
Can see pallor and edema of the optic disc, with scattered cotton-wool patches and small hemorrhages, or can have a normal funduscopic exam
-Cardiovascular exam:
Asymmetry of pulses in arms, aortic regurgitation murmur, bruits near clavicle if GCA has affected the aorta or major branches
Labs: GCA
-**Elevated ESR/CRP Anemia -WBC usually normal -May have reactive thrombocytosis -May have abnormal LFTs (esp ↑ALP) -Albumin can be low
Define elevated Sed rate
normal sed rate is less than 20.
DDx PMR
Rheumatoid arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Polymyositis
Infections ie: endocarditis, osteomyelitis
Drug-induced myopathy/myalgia (esp. statins)
-RS3PE syndrome (Remitting Seronegative Symmetrical Synovitis with pitting Edema)
-hypothyroidism
DDx- GCA
Takayasu Arteritis Migraine headache Meningitis Retinal Vein or Artery occlusion Amyloidosis Small and medium vessel vasculidities Wegener’s granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa, microscopic polyangitis Malignancy Sinus infection
Diagnosis for PMR
- Clinical Diagnosis
- Multiple scoring/classification systems exist
GCA dx (what is the gold standard test**?)
- **Temporal artery biopsy is gold standard
- If GCA suspected, but a unilateral biopsy is negative –> contralateral biopsy
- Classification criteria does not replace biopsy for definitive diagnosis
Tx PMR
-Glucocorticoid therapy:
**Prednisone 15 mg PO daily
(Normal starting doses might range from 10-20 mg)
-If no improvement after 7 days, could ↑ to 30 mg
-If still no improvement, consider a different Dx.
(**Rapid improvement generally seen– alerts you that you have the correct dx)
- After stable and Sx controlled, start tapering dose
- *Flares are common–> increase dose and taper slower
Tx GCA
-Don’t wait for biopsy results to start treatment!!
-**Goal is to prevent permanent blindness
-Glucocorticoids: **Prednisone 40-60 mg PO daily
–If no response, increase dose
Once controlled (usually 2-4 weeks), start tapering
-No faster than reducing by 10% every 1-2 weeks
-Will need to be on prednisone for months
-Think about osteoporosis prevention!
-Flares common- increase prednisone by 10 mg. Inflammatory markers are helpful (CRP is the first to increase)
Prognosis: PMR
- Good, with steroid therapy
- Many patients have a self-limiting course
- Does not cause chronic damage
- Most morbidity is related to long-term steroid use
Prognosis: GCA
- **If not treated, can have a poor prognosis and lead to permanent blindness
- Fair number have a chronic course and relapses
- Association with increased cardiovascular events (MI, CVA, & PVD)
- Long-term steroid risk has consequences
-Referral for either: rheumatology
Takayasu Arteritis (TA): describe this condition
=**Chronic vasculitis mostly affecting the aorta and main branches
–Speculated to be on the spectrum of PMR/GCA with similar pathophysiology
Takayasu Arteritis (TA): demographic
Most common in women, Asians
–Onset usually between 10 and 40
Takayasu Arteritis (TA): early sx and later sx
- Constitutional symptoms common early in disease
- Later, symptoms of vascular insufficiency: Claudication, cool extremities, subclavian steal syndrome can lead to syncope, BP differential, arthralgias, skin lesions, pulmonary manifestations, abdominal pain/diarrhea/GI hemorrhage, angina pectoris