Title: Clinical Approach to Acute Arthritis
1Clinical Approach to Acute Arthritis
- Azam amini
- Rheumatologist
- Boushehr university of medical science
2Acute Arthritis
- The sudden onset of inflammation of the joint,
causing severe pain, swelling, and redness. - Structural changes in the joint itself may result
from persistence of this condition.
3Signs of Inflammation
- Swelling
- Warmth
- Erythema
- Tenderness
- Loss of function
4Key Points
- Distinguish arthritis from soft tissue non
articular syndromes - If the problem is articular distinguish single
joint from multiple joint involvement - Inflammatory or non-inflammatory disease
- Always consider septic arthritis!
5Articular Vs. Periarticular
Clinical feature Articular Periarticular
Anatomic structure Painful site Pain on movement Swelling Synovium, cartilage, capsule Diffuse, deep Active/passive, all planes Common Tendon, bursa, ligament, muscle, bone Focal point Active, in few planes Uncommon
6Inflammatory Vs. Noninflammatory
Feature Inflammatory Noninflammatory
Pain (when?) Swelling Erythema Warmth AM stiffness Systemic features î ESR, CRP Synovial fluid WBC Examples Yes (AM) Soft tissue Sometimes Sometimes Prominent Sometimes Frequent WBC gt2000 Septic, RA, SLE, Gout Yes (PM) Bony Absent Absent Minor (lt 30 ) Absent Uncommon WBC lt 2000 OA, AVN
7Acute Monoarthritis
- Inflammation (swelling, tenderness, warmth) in
one joint - Occasionally polyarticular diseases can present
with monoarticular onset - (RA, JRA,Reactive and enteropathic arthritis,
Sarcoid arthritis, Viral arthritis, Psoriatic
arthritis)
8Acute Monoarthritis - Etiology
- THE MOST CRITICAL DIAGNOSIS TO CONSIDER
INFECTION ! - Septic
- Crystal deposition (gout, pseudogout)
- Traumatic (fracture, internal derangement)
- Other (hemarthrosis, osteonecrosis, presentation
of polyarticular disorders)
9Questions to Ask History Helps in DD
- Pain come suddenly, minutes? fracture.
- 0ver several hours or 1-2 days? infectious,
crystals, inflammatory arthropathy. - History of IV drug abuse or a recent infection?
septic joint. - Previous similar attacks? crystals or
inflammatory arthritis. - Prolonged courses of steroids? infection or
osteonecrosis of the bone.
10Acute Monoarthritis
11Indications for Arthrocentesis
- The single most useful diagnostic study in
initial evaluation of monoarthritis SYNOVIAL
FLUID ANALYSIS - 1. Suspicion of infection
- 2. Suspicion of crystal-induced arthritis
- 3. Suspicion of hemarthrosis
- 4. Differentiating inflammatory from
noninflammatory arthritis
12Tests to Perform on Synovial Fluid
- Low threshold for doing Gram stain and cultures .
- Total leukocyte count/differential inflammatory
vs. non-inflammatory. - Polarized microscopy to look for crystals.
- Not necessary routinely Chemistry (glucose,
total protein, LDH) unlikely to yield helpful
information beyond the previous tests.
13Septic Joint
- Most articular infections a single joint
- 15-20 cases polyarticular
- Most common sites knee, hip, shoulder
- 20 patients afebrile
- Joint pain is moderate to severe
- Joints visibly swollen, warm, often red
- Comorbidities RA, DM, SLE, cancer,etc
14Septic Joint - Nongonococcal
- 80-90 monoarticular
- Most develop from hematogenous spread
- Most common
- Gram positive aerobes (80)
- Majority with Staph aureus (60)
- Gram negative 18
15Septic Joint - Gonococcal
- Most common cause of septic arthritis
- Often preceded by disseminated gonococcemia
- Sexually active individual, 5-7 days h/o fever,
chills, skin lesions, migratory arthralgias and
tenosynovitis ? persistent monoarthritis - Women often menstruating or pregnant
- Genitourinary disease often asymptomatic
16Disseminated Gonococcemia Pustules
17Gout
- Caused by monosodium urate crystals
- Most common type of inflammatory monoarthritis
- Typically first MTP joint, ankle, midfoot, knee
- Pain very severe cannot stand bed sheet
- May be with fever and mimic infection
- The cutaneous erythema may extend beyond the
joint and resemble bacterial cellulitis
18Acute Gouty Arthritis
19Risk Factors
- Primary gout Obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes
mellitus, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. - Secondary gout alcoholism, drug therapy
(diuretics, cytotoxics), myeloproliferative
disorders, chronic renal failure.
20Urate Crystals
- Needle-shaped
- Strongly negative birefringent
21CPPD Crystals Deposition Disease
- Can cause monoarthritis clinically
indistinguishable from gout Pseudogout. - Often precipitated by illness or surgery.
- Pseudogout is most common in the knee (50) and
wrist. - Reported in any joint (Including MTP).
- CPPD disease may be asymptomatic (deposition of
CPP in cartilage).
22Associated Conditions
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hypercalcemia
- Hypocalciuria
- Hemochromatosis
- Hypothyroidism
- Gout
- Aging
23CPPD Crystals
- Rod or rhomboid-shaped
- Weakly positive birefringent
24Other Tests Indicated for Acute Arthritis
- 1. Almost always indicated
- Radiograph, bilateral
- CBC
- 2. Indicated in certain patients
- Cultures
- PT/PTT
- ESR
- 3. Rarely indicated
- Serologic ANA, RF
- Serum Uric acid level
25Polyarthritis
- Definite inflammation (swelling, tenderness,
warmth of gt 5 joints - A patient with 2-4 joints is said to have pauci-
or oligoarticular arthritis
26Acute Polyarthritis
- Infection
- Gonococcal
- Meningococcal
- Lyme disease
- Rheumatic fever
- Bacterial endocarditis
- Viral (rubella, parvovirus, Hep. B)
- Inflammatory
- RA
- JRA
- SLE
- Reactive arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Polyarticular gout
- Sarcoid arthritis
27Inflammatory Vs. Noninflammatory
Feature Inflammatory Mechanical
Morning stiffness Fatigue Activity Rest Systemic Corticosteroid gt1 h Profound Improves Worsens Yes Yes lt 30 min Minimal Worsens Improves No No
28Temporal Patterns in Polyarthritis
- Migratory pattern Rheumatic fever, gonococcal
(disseminated gonococcemia), early phase of Lyme
disease - Additive pattern RA, SLE, psoriasis
- Intermittent Gout, reactive arthritis
29Patterns of Joint Involvement
- Symmetric polyarthritis involving small and large
joints viral, RA, SLE, one type of psoriatic
(the RA-like). - Asymmetric, oligo- and polyarthritis involving
mainly large joints, preferably lower
extremities, especially knee and ankle reactive
arthritis, one type of psoriatic, enteropathic
arthritis. - DIP joints Psoriatic.
30Viral Arthritis
- Younger patients
- Usually presents with prodrome, rash
- History of sick contact
- Polyarthritis similar to acute RA
- Prognosis good self-limited
- Examples Parvovirus B-19, Rubella, Hepatitis B
and C, Acute HIV infection, Epstein-Barr virus,
mumps
31Parvovirus B-19
- The virus of fifth disease, erythema
infectiosum (EI). - Children slapped cheek adults flu-like
illness, maculopapular rash on extremities. - Joints involved more in adults (20 of cases).
- Abrupt onset symmetric polyarthralgia/polyarthriti
s with stiffness in young women exposed to kids
with E.I. - May persist for a few weeks to months.
32Viral Arthritides - Parvovirus
33Rubella Arthritis
- German measles.
- Young women exposed to school-aged children.
- Arthritis in 1/3 of natural infections also
following vaccination. - Morbilliform rash, constitutional symptoms.
- Symmetric inflammatory arthritis (small and large
joints).
34Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Symmetric, inflammatory polyarthritis, involving
large and small joints - Acute, severe onset 10-15 subacute 20
- Hand characteristically involved
- Acute hand deformity fusiform swelling of
fingers due to synovitis of PIPs - RF may be negative at onset and may remain
negative in 15-20! - RA is a clinical diagnosis, no laboratory test is
diagnostic, just supportive!
35Acute Polyarthritis - RA
36Acute Sarcoid Arthritis
- Chronic inflammatory disorder noncaseating
granulomas at involved sites - 15-20 arthritis symmetrical wrists, PIPs,
ankles, knees - Common with hilar adenopathy
- Erythema nodosum
- Löfgrens syndrome acute arthritis, erythema
nodosum, bilateral hilar adenopathy
37Acute Polyarthritis in Sarcoidosis
38Reactive Arthritis
- Infection-induced systemic disease with
inflammatory synovitis from which viable
organisms cannot be cultured - Association with HLA B 27
- Asymmetric, oligoarticular, knees, ankles, feet
- 40 have axial disease (spondylarthropathy)
- Enthesitis inflammation of tendon-bone junction
(Achilles tendon, dactylitis) - Extraarticular rashes, nails, eye involvement
39Asymmetric, Inflammatory Oligoarthritis
40Enthesitis in Reactive Arthritis
41Keratoderma Blenorrhagica Reactive Arthritis
42Reactive Arthritis - Conjunctivitis
43Reactive Arthritis Palate Erosions
44Psoriatic Arthritis
- Prevalence of arthritis in Psoriasis 5-7
- Dactilytis (sausage fingers), nail changes
- Subtypes
- Asymmetric, oligoarticular- associated dactylitis
- Predominant DIP involvement nail changes
- Polyarthritis RA-like lacks RF or nodules
- Arthritis mutilans destructive erosive
hands/feet - Axial involvement spondylitis 50 HLAB27 ()
- HIV-associated more severe
45Acute Polyarthritis - Psoriatic
46Dactylitis Sausage Toes Psoriasis
47Psoriasis
48Arthritis Of SLE
- Musculoskeletal manifestation 90.
- Most have arthralgia.
- May have acute inflammatory synovitis RA-like.
- Do not develop erosions.
- Other clinical features help with DD malar rash,
photosensitivity, rashes, alopecia, oral
ulceration.
49Butterfly Rash SLE
50Photosensitivity
51Alopecia - SLE
52Arthritis of Rheumatic Fever
- Etiology Streptococcus pyogenes (group A) there
is damaging immune response to antecedent
infection molecular cross reaction with target
organs molecular mimicry. - Migratory polyarthritis, large joints knees,
ankles, elbows, wrists. - Major manifestations carditis, polyarthritis,
chorea, erythema marginatum, subcutaneous nodules.
53Erythema Marginatum Rheumatic Fever
- Circinate
- Evanenscent
- Nonpruritic rash
54Rheumatic Fever Subcutaneous Nodes
55Gouty Arthritis
56Skin Lesions Useful in Diagnosis
- Psoriatic plaques
- Keratoderma Blenorrhagicum (reactive arthritis)
- Butterfly rash (SLE)
- Salmon-colored rash of JRA, adult Stills
- Erythema marginatum (Rheumatic Fever)
- Vesicopustular lesions (gonococcal arthritis)
- Erythema nodosum (acute sarcoid, enteropathic
arthritis)
57Disseminated Gonococcemia Pustules
58Keratoderma Blenorrhagica Reactive Arthritis
59Erythema Marginatum Rheumatic Fever
- Circinate
- Evanenscent
- Nonpruritic rash
60Adult Stills Disease and JRA Rash
- Salmon or pale-pink
- Blanching
- Macules or maculopapules
- Transient (minutes or hours)
- Most common on trunk
- Fever related
61SLE Face Rash
62SLE Interarticular Rash Hands
63Keratoderma Blenorrhagicum
64Erythema Nodosum
- Sarcoidosis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease related arthritis
65Tenosynovitis and Usefulness in DD
- Inflammation of the synovial-lined sheaths
surrounding tendons. - Exam tenderness and swelling along the track of
the involved tendon between the joints. - Characteristic of Reactive arthritis, Gout, RA,
gonococcal arthritis, psoriatic.
66Tenosynovitis in JRA
67Dactylitis Sausage Toes Psoriasis, Reactive,
Enteropathic
68Enthesitis
69Extraarticular Features Helpful in DD
- Eye involvement conjunctivitis in reactive
arthritis, uveitis in enteropathic and
sarcoidosis, episcleritis in RA - Oral ulcerations painful in reactive arthritis
and enteropathic, not painful in SLE - Nail lesions pitting (psoriasis), onycholysis
(reactive arthritis) - Alopecia (SLE)
70Reactive Arthritis - Conjunctivitis
71Episcleritis
72Reactive Arthritis Palate Erosions
73Alopecia - SLE
74Nail Pitting - Psoriasis
75Nail Changes in Reactive Arthritis