Rheumatoid arthritis

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• Tena Trbojevic
• Mentor A. Žmegac
  Horvat

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• chronic diesease
• inflammatory disease
• (inflammation of joint lining)
• autoimmune disease
• (immune reaction against joint tissues -
  synovial membrane)

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• causes pain, swelling, stiffness, loss of
  function in the joints
• generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern
• may also attack tissue in the skin, lungs, eyes,
  and blood vessels

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• small joints of hands and feet affected first,
  larger joints later

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• begins during the most productive years (30 60)
• occurs much more frequently in women than in men
  (wm31)

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• specific agent or agents are not yet known
• infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria,
  may trigger RA in people with an inherited
  tendency to develop the disease

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• synovitis
• fibrous ankylosis
• bony ankylosis
• osteoporosis

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Rheumatoid arthritis
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Rheumatoid arthritis - symptoms

• Around the joints
• warmth
• redness
• swelling
• pain
• limitations in joint motion
• General
• sickness
• tiredness
• fever

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages
• Patient history
• - questions about the intensity of pain
  symptoms
• - frequency of symptoms
• - what makes the pain better or worse
• RTG, MRI, arthrography, arthroscopy
• Blood test (RF, CRP, SE)
• RF? Waaler- Rose test
• 132normal
• 164 pathological

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• Treatments can
• relieve pain
• reduce swelling
• slow down or help prevent joint damage
• increase ability to function
• improve sense of well-being

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Rheumatoid arthritis treatment
options

• exercise
• medication
• stress reduction
• DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs)
  methotrexate, leflunomide, sulfasalazine,
  cyclosporine
• corticosteroids cortisone, hydrocortisone,
  prednisone
• in some cases - surgery (joint replacement and
  tendon reconstruction - two types of surgery
  available to patients with severe joint damage )

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• research efforts focused on developing drugs
  that can reduce inflammation and slow or stop the
  disease with few side effects investigators
  trying to identify the infectious agents and
  understand how they work ? new therapies
• scientists are also examining why rheumatoid
  arthritis often improves during pregnancy

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Rheumatoid arthritis

• http//www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthritis_pi
  ctures_slideshow/article.htm
• http//video.about.com/arthritis/Chronic-Rheumatis
  m-Hand.htm
• http//nihseniorhealth.gov/videolist.htmlrheumato
  idarthritis

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• References
• http//nihseniorhealth.gov/videolist.htmlr
  heumatoidarthritis
• http//www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthriti
  s_pictures_slideshow/article.htm
• http//video.about.com/arthritis/Chronic-Rheum
  atism-Hand.htm