maculopapular rash, resolve after removal of agent
Timecourse: most occur several days after starting treatment, but can happen weeks after initiation of offending agent
Labs: elevated eosinophils, CRP, LFT’s (e.g. one study found increased LFT’s in 20% of cases of maculopapular rash)
Note: if you see it on the outside, the same thing can be happening on the inside (such as the liver, etc)
Serum Sickness
7-10 days after primary exposure, 2-4 days after secondary exposure
Findings: fever, polyarthralgia, urticaria, lymphadenopathy, glomerulonephritis
Treatment: removal of agent, antihistamines, NSAIDs
Atopy
asthma, eczema, and seasonal rhinitis and conjunctivitis
allergic rhinitis: varies with season, treated with antihistamines/topical nasal steroids, itchy
vasomotor rhinitis: perennial (no seasonal variation), not itchy
Food allergies
Most common peanuts (soy beans, shellfish, eggs, milk, nuts) / incidence believe about 1 % / breastfeeding may reduce chance of developing in those predisposed / skin testing (radioallergosorbent tests or RAST ) not as good as a simple food diary / reactions usu. in GI and skin but can cause anaphylaxis/respiratory / best treatment is avoidance
Dust mite
common allergen / grow better in warm, humid environment (so humidifier actually makes worse) / can do skin testing for diagnosis of allergy
Insect allergies (e.g. hymenoptera)
range from local reactions to anaphylaxis / honeybee (Apis family) is not cross-reactive with Vespid family (e.g. wasps, hornets, yellow jackets) / venom immunotherapy is indicated with history and/or positive skin testing
Latex allergy
ranges from mild to anaphylaxis / can do scratch test
Rheumatology
Bone Malformations Bone Fractures Bone Cancer Osteomyelitis
Joint Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, Scleroderma, Sjögren’s, MCTD, JRA, Sarcoidosis
Osteoarthritis (OA), gout, pseudogout
Infectious arthritis
Spondylarthropathies: AS, psoriatic, Reiter’s and Reactive, IBD
Fibromyalgia
Muscle Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis, PMR, RS3PE, eosinophilic fasciitis, eosinophilic myositis, other myopathy
Vascultides GCA, Takayasu’s, Kawasaki’s, PAN, Wegener’s, Churg-Strauss, Buerger’s
Ortho Low Back Pain, Knee Pain, carpal tunnel
[Rheum H&P] [HLA associations]
Rheum History and Physical Exam
History
General: CC/Chronology/demographics/functional impact/FH/ROS
Pain
Distal (RA), proximal (PMR, fibromyalgia)
Gentle activity often improves inflammatory but not pain of OA or fibromyalgia
Pain worse as day goes on (OA), wakens from sleep (severe OA, cancer)
Stiffness
Morning stiffness > 1 hr (RA, PMR)
gel phenomenon (worse on initiation/resumption of activity)
Swelling
Articular (arthritis), periarticular (tenosynovitis, ganglion cyst), entire limb (lymphedema), other (lipoma, tumor)
Dependent worse as day goes on
Weakness
muscle vs. neurological
Constitutional
Fever, inflammation (weight loss) vs. chronic pain (weight gain)
Sleep
Fibromyalgia and inflammatory disease often poor sleepers (may also have sleep apnea, nocturia, narcolepsy)
Raynaud’s
Three Stages
Ischemic pallor - vasospasm (arteries/arterioles) [pic]
Cyanosis – dilation / deoxygenated blood pooling
Rubor – reactive hyperemia
Primary
Secondary
Collagen vascular disease (SLE, SSc, others)
Arterial occlusive disease
Pulmonary HTN
Neurologic disorders
Blood dyscrasias (e.g. Waldenstrom’s)
Trauma
Other: thoracic outlet syndrome (decreased blood flow, short rib)
Arthritis Ddx by category
Acute polyarthritis
Infectious: bacterial sepsis, Neisseria, HIV, other virus, Lyme, rheumatic fever
Non-infectious: sarcoid, many CTD’s, Spondylarthropathies, juvenile chronic arthritis, gout/CPPD, HSP, HOA, sickle cell, leukemia
Intermittent Arthritis
Mechanical: loose bodies, partial tears, ligament laxities
Crystals: gout, pseudogout, hydroxyapatite
Infectious: Lyme, whipple’s
Other: palindromic RA, episodic RA, intermittent hydrarthrosis, FMF, Sarcoid
Chronic Arthritis
RA, JRA, other CTD, crystals, spondylarthropathies, HOA, hypothyroid, metabolic/infiltrative bone/joint disease
Acute Monoarthritis
Note: these can present with only one joint first, of course
Trauma, sickle cell, osteonecrosis
Crystals, bacteria, spondylarthropathies, RA, palindromic RA, JRA
Chronic Monoarthritis
Non-inflammatory
OA, mechanical, osteonecrosis, neuropathic, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, adjacent bone lesion (tumor/infection)
Inflammatory
Tb, fungal, lyme, crystals, RA, JRA, spondylarthropathies, hemophilia, synovial neoplasm, pigmented villonodular synovitis
Low Back Pain
Etiologies:
Inflammatory: AS, Reiter’s, Psoriatic, enteropathic (reactive)
Infectious: infectious sacroiliitis, osteomyelitis
Musculoskeletal: vertebral compression, degenerative facet joint disease, herniated disc, muscular ligamentous injury
Neurologic
Psychogenic, worker’s comp
Visceral/vascular, referred pain
Primary or metastatic malignancy
Congenital
Conditions:
musculoskeletal
lumbar sprain or strain (70%): acute or chronic / young adults
degenerative disk disease (10%)
spinal stenosis (3%): pain often bilateral lower legs / usu. > 60 yrs / worse w/ extension, relieved by flexion, worse with walking (uphill)
intervertebral (herniated disc) disease (4%): worse with sitting (lying may help)
spondylosis: defect in pars interarticularis, either congenital or secondary to stress fracture
spondylolisthesis: anterior displacement of upper vertebral body on the lower body (can mimic symptoms of spinal stenosis) / condition results from spondylosis or degenerative disk disease in elderly
cauda equina syndrome: difficulty in micturation, loss of anal tone, saddle anesthesia, progressive motor weakness, sensory level
facet joint syndrome: back pain referred to buttock, worse with extension, relieved by flexion / gradual, chronic / more in older patients / may have paravertebral muscle spasm at level
inflammatory: onset < 40, morning stiffness, peripheral joints, iritis, rash, urethral discharge
non-mechanical low back pain (1%)
referred or visceral pain (2%)
Diagnosis: history and physical usually enough / don’t get XR unless suspecting tumor, infection because 60% of asymptomatic patients will have positive findings on XR (which will be useless information) / MRI reserved for severe cases and/or when considering surgery
Straight-leg raising (not very sensitive or specific)
Patrick maneuver distinguishes pain from sacral-iliac joint (patient externally rotates hip, flexes knee, crosses knee of other leg like a number four while examiner presses down on flexed knee and opposite pelvis)
Duration: acute: < 3 months / early: 3 to 6 months / intermediate: 6 to 24 months / late: > 2 yrs
Red flags: young or old presentation, previous CA, steroids, drugs, HIV, constant (non-mechanical), thoracic, wt loss, ESR > 25, vertebral collapse on XR
Treatment: most cases of acute low back pain resolve in 1-6 weeks w/ analgesics (NSAIDs, other), bed rest NOT recommended, physical therapy NOT necessary (3-5% remain disabled for > 3 months)
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Pain distribution
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weakness
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Reflex affected
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Screening test
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L3-4
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anterolateral thigh, anteromedial calf to ankle
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Quadriceps
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knee
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Squat and rise (L4)
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L4-5
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lateral thigh, anteromedial calf, medial dorsum of foot between 1st and 2nd toes
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Dorsiflexion of foot
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none
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Heel walking (L5)
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L5-S1
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gluteal region, posterior thigh, posterolateral calf, lateral dorsum of sole and foot between 4th and 5th toes
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Plantar flexion of foot
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ankle
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Walk on toes (S1)
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Referred pain
facet joints, intervertebral discs
Lumbar hip pain localizing to buttock, lateral thigh
Cervical axilla, shoulder
hips groin, anterior thigh
knee
heart shoulder, jaw, arm (pericarditis trapezius ridge)
pancreas back
liver shoulder
renal (stones, etc) flank/groin/testicle
uterine lower back
PUD/spleen/pneumonia right shoulder
throat ear (via recurrent laryngeal nerve)
Joint Diseases [Synovial Fluid Table] [Polyarticular Ddx]
Inflammatory Joint Disease
Infectious arthritis
Crystal-induced: Gout, pseudogout, hydroxyapatite, calcium oxalate, LLM
Trauma: fracture, internal derangement, hemarthrosis
Osteoarthritis, RA and JRA
Spondylarthropathies: psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter’s, reactive arthritis
Ischemic (avascular) necrosis: Kasan’s, alcoholics, Gaucher’s
Foreign-body synovitis
Tumor: mets, osteoid osteoma, pigmented villonodular synovitis (benign, brown-yellow on MRI)
GI disease: intestinal bypass, Whipple’s, reactive arthritis (Shigella, Salmonella, Yersinia, Chlamydia, Campylobacter), IBD (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis)
Viral infections: Parvovirus B19, rubella, HBV, HCV
Uncommon: mumps, coxsackie, echovirus, adenovirus, VZV, HSV, CMV
Other causes of arthropathy:
Relapsing polychondritis
Neuropathic joint disease
Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy and clubbing
Fibromyalgia
Psychogenic rheumatism
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome
Costochondritis or Tietze’s syndrome (with swelling)
Musculoskeletal disorders associated with hyperlipidemia
Arthropathy of acromegaly, hemochromatosis, hemophilia, hemoglobinopathies,
Polyarticular
Rheum: RA, OA, gout, CPPD, SLE, vasculitis, scleroderma, PM/DM,
Still’s, Behçet’s, relapsing polychondritis, sarcoidosis, palindromic rheumatism,
FMF, malignancy, hyperlipoproteinemia / seronegative: AS, psoriatic, IBD
Other: fibromyalgia, multiple bursitis/tendonitis, soft tissue abnormalities,
hypothyroidism, neuropathic pain, metabolic bone disease, depression, serum sickness
Infectious: lyme, endocarditis, viral (see above), gonococcal, Tb, other
Post-infectious or reactive: Reiter’s, rheumatic fever, enteric infection
HOA and clubbing
Primary HOA (pachydermoperiostosis)
AD / childhood / remits in 10-20 yrs
Secondary HOA
Causes: associated with intrathoracic malignancies, suppurative lung disease, congenital heart disease, and more / without clubbing (vascular grafting)
bronchogenic CA (usu. non-small cell) RA-like picture (with effusions/arthralgia) can develop even before onset of clubbing
Mechanism: megakaryocyte shunting with R to L arteriolar trapping release of PDGF proliferation [doesn’t seem to explain the classic pattern of progressive development of clubbing from feet to hands seen with congenital heart disease]
Treatment: after lung tumor resection (or even just radiation of mets) or lung abscess drainage, symptoms and signs of arthropathy often subside rapidly; radiographic changes remit during weeks and months / NSAID’s, ASA, bisphosphonates, even trial of low-dose steroids may relieve bone pain in some pts
Diagnosis: clinical? / bone scan will show periosteal deposition [pic], plain films may reveal changes also
Periarticular disorders:
bursitis, rotator cuff tendonitis and impingement syndrome, calcific tendonitis, bicipital tendonitis and rupture, adhesive capsulitis, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), medial epicondylitis
General Points about OA, RA, gout
OA affects many vertebrae, RA particularly C1/C2 (because there’s a bursa there)
RA causes destruction and osteoporosis; gout causes destruction but not osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis (OA) most common joint disease
Causes: primary (80% of population > 70 yrs) or secondary 5% (previously damaged joints, weight-bearing joints, endocrinopathy, metabolic disease, neuropathy, avascular necrosis, Paget’s); 34% of patients presenting with acute knee pain
Clinical: age > 50 yrs, morning stiffness < 30 mins, crepitus, bony enlargement or tenderness; no inflammation (no heat), slow progression / normally pain worse with weigh-bearing, motion, but can progress to point where causes pain at rest, at night
ACR: osteophytes on XR + at least one of above signs is 90% sensitive, specific for OA
Findings:
Affected Joints: DIP > PIP > CMC, knee, hip, feet
Spared Joints: hands (except DIP/PIP/CMC), wrist, elbow, shoulder, spine
Heberden’s nodes (DIP) and Bouchard’s (PIP) seen more in post-menopausal women with genetic predisposition [pic] / only wrist joint involved is 1st CMC [pic]
Knees: medial >> lateral involvement / may develop popliteal cysts
Radiographic (weight-bearing): osteophytes (77% sensitivity/83% specificity), subchondral sclerosis, subchondral cysts, joint space narrowing (erosions), malalignment, may see soft-tissue swelling
Spondylosis is the formation of osteophytes in response to degenerative disc disease / thick and often project laterally (unlike in AS) / spinal stenosis can also occur from hypertrophy of posterior facet joints, spondylolisthesis, synovial cysts, Paget’s disease, epidural lipomatosis, and congenitally small spinal canal
Schmorl’s nodes (invasion of disc into vertebral body) are common (often associated with Scheuermann’s disease, osteopenia and degenerative disc disease) / bony margin may be visible on roentgenogram
Forestier’s disease (diffuse hyperostosis) can occur (usu. elderly) and may form “flowing ossification” (usu. on right side, thoracic vertebrae, but also can occur on ligamentous, tendinous attachments anywhere)
Labs: ESR < 40, RF < 1:40, non-inflammatory synovial fluid (< 2000/mm3)
Treatment: NSAIDs (some say glucosamine works in patients who cannot tolerate NSAIDs), when it’s bad enough, only treatment is joint replacement (knee/hip) (~95% 10 yr success rate) / chondroitin sulfate under investigation / multiple, short periods of rest throughout day better than one large period of rest / intraarticular steroids occasionally helpful (esp. in joint “lock up”)
Nodal OA DIP/PIP / runs in families
Rheumatoid Arthritis
females 4:1 / any age / mildly shortened life span
Findings: swollen, painful, warm joints (PIP, MCP, not DIP), ulnar deviation of MCP [pic], radial deviation of wrists, swan-neck fingers [pic], Boutonnière or button-hole deformities [pic][pic]
Joints: inflamed synovium (pannus) / penetrates to cause erosions, subchondral cysts / fibrin aggregates in joint space (rice bodies) / synovium eventually bridges and ossifies opposing surfaces
Skin: 25% have rheumatoid nodules (firm, oval, non-tender, fibrinoid necrosis, inflammation)
Vasculitis: rheumatoid vasculitis, ulcers, gangrene, splinter hemorrhages, raynaud’s
Neuro
peripheral neuropathy (10%; ½ are slowly progressive, distal symmetrical sensory or sensory-motor polyneuropathy)
mononeuritis multiplex
entrapment neuropathy carpal tunnel
Renal: early (drug-induced nephropathies), late (amyloid-like renal disease)
Lungs (almost always RF positive): [NEJM]
pleuritis/pleurisy, effusion
pulmonary nodules (CT will show them if CXR doesn’t)
ILD
alveolar hemorrhage
Heart: pericarditis > myocarditis, valves / conduction abnormalities
Eyes: (1st dry eyes or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (Sjögren’s), 2nd episcleritis – may be severe, perforate)
Heme: anemia of chronic disease
Diagnosis: r/o TB (also has RF)
Criteria: 4 of 7 required
morning stiffness > 1 hr
swelling of 3 or more joints
swelling of hand joints (PIP, MCP, wrist)
symmetrical swelling
rheumatoid nodules
positive RF
erosions of hand joints (X-ray)
Labs: 80% have RF (IgM to Fc of IgG), ANA / HLA DR4, HLA DR1
anti-CCP (worse prognosis; ⅓ with negative RF will have positive anti-citric citrullinated peptide)
Radiography: early X-ray changes in feet (MTPs, very specific for RA), ulnar styloid changes (late becomes piano key sign), C1-2 subluxation (can be very serious and damage spinal cord, but if seen incidentally on lateral flexion c-spine at < 5 mm, can observe)
Course: usually insidious course / DMARD-remission achievable (15%) (anti-CCP Ab’s increase chances of DMARD-free remission)
Treatment: aggressive therapy is the rule / immunosuppressive drugs from day one / frequent re-evaluation and willingness to change therapies based on effectiveness (is a trend that has been advancing more and more) / DAS28 scores (sometimes used), TJC (total joint count), ESR (may vary with effective treatment)
Steroids
MTX
TNF-a inhibitors (some believe in switching from one anti-TNF to another may work in treatment failure; or possibly adding newer agents such as the new Ab’s like rituximab, etc.)
Others: Immuran
Old school: gold, penicillamine
New school (example of regimens): initial tapered high-dose prednisone + MTX and sulfasalazine or infliximab + MTX
Prognosis: more nodules, DR4, anti-CCP, more systemic Sx, are worse indicators
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