Site Information
Directions
Resources
Rheumatic Diseases
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. This causes inflammation (arthritis) and joint damage. It can also damage some organs, such as the lungs and skin. It can be a disabling and painful condition. It can lead to considerable loss of function and mobility.
RA is diagnosed with blood tests (especially a test called rheumatoid factor) and X-rays. Diagnosis and long term management are typically performed by a rheumatologist. A rheumatologist is an expert in the diseases of joints and connective tissues.
There are several treatments available. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy along with analgesia (painkillers), anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids to treat the symptoms. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can reverse the disease process and prevent long term damage. A newer group of drugs called biologics increases treatment options.
The name rheumatoid arthritis is based on the term "rheumatic fever". Rheumatic fever is an illness that includes joint pain. It is comes from the Greek word rheumatos ("flowing"). The suffix -oid ("resembling") translates to joint inflammation that resembles rheumatic fever. The first known report of rheumatoid arthritis was made in 1800 by Dr Augustin Jacob Landré-Beauvais (1772-1840) of Lupus Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can be fatal. However, with recent medical advances, deaths from the disease are becoming rarer. As with other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissue. This results in inflammation and tissue damage. SLE can affect any part of the body. It most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system.
The course of the disease is unpredictable. There are periods of illness (called flares) along with periods of remission. Lupus can occur at any age. It is most common in women, mainly of non-European descent. Gout (metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a buildup of uric acid. Gout most often occurs in men but it can affect women as well. It most often attacks the big toe (about 75 % of first attacks) but it can also attack other joints such as the ankle, heel, instep, knee, wrist, elbow, fingers and spine.
Gout is characterized by excruciating, sudden, unexpected, burning pain, as well as swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness in the affected joint. The patient may have a low-grade fever.
The pain results from two causes. First, the crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the affected area is moved. Second, the inflammation of the tissues around the joint causes the skin to be swollen, tender and sore to the slightest touch. Even the lightest sheet covering the affected area may cause extreme pain.
Patients with long standing hyperuricemia may have uric acid crystal deposits in other areas such as the outer part of the ear. High levels of uric acid in the urine can lead to uric acid kidney stones. Scleroderma Scleroderma is a term that comes from the Greek for "hard skin." It's classified as both a connective tissue disorder and a rheumatic condition. In scleroderma, the skin gradually tightens and thickens or hardens. It loses its ability to stretch.
The disease usually affects the hands, face and feet. However, tiny blood vessels throughout the body also may be affected. This causes widespread damage to internal organs in the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems.
Scleroderma can look very different in different people. There are many types of this condition. Doctors generally classify scleroderma as either localized or systemic. The classification depends on how much of the skin is affected. The widespread form of the disease is often called systemic sclerosis and can be life-threatening.
An estimated 300,000 Americans have scleroderma. People in the United States are more likely to get the disease than people in Europe or Japan
Women develop localized forms of the disease three times more than men. More than 80% of people with systemic scleroderma are women aged 30 to 50. Rarely, children can develop scleroderma. Better treatments developed in the past two decades have led to improved longevity for people with systemic sclerosis. Vasculitis Vasculitis is a general term that refers to inflammation of blood vessels. When blood vessels become inflamed, they may weaken, stretch and change size. They can increase in size or become narrower -- even to the point of closing entirely.
Vasculitis can affect people of all ages, but there are types of vasculitis that occur in certain age groups more often than others.
Some of the many forms of vasculitis may affect a particular organ. There are forms that affect only the skin, eyes, brain or certain internal organs. There are also types of vasculitis that may affect many organs at the same time. Some of these general forms may be mild and not require treatment. Other forms may be severe if they affect critical organs.
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a bone disease. It makes bones brittle and more likely to break. It is most common in women after menopause but it may also develop in men and anyone with certain medical conditions. Patients who take steroids are at a much higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Fractures caused by osteoporosis may significantly affect life expectancy and quality of life. Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes chronic general pain. Some patients find that even a gentle touch can cause extreme pain. Since fibromyalgia involves more than just pain, it is sometimes called ‘fibromyalgia syndrome’. There are no specific laboratory tests to confirm a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. For this reason, a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is based on a preponderance of the evidence and carries a degree of uncertainty.
Symptoms:
Most patients have extreme fatigue, sleeplessness and joint stiffness.
Some patients have
While historically considered either a musculoskeletal disease or neuropsychiatric condition, evidence from research conducted in the last three decades has revealed abnormalities within the central nervous system affecting brain regions that may be linked to both clinical symptoms and research phenomena.
Although there is no generally accepted cure for fibromyalgia, there are treatments that have been demonstrated by controlled clinical trials to be effective in reducing symptoms, including medications, patient education, exercise and behavioral interventions.
The symptoms of Lupus are treatable with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. However, there is currently no cure. Survival in patients with SLE in the United States, Canada and Europr is approximately 95% at 5 years, 90% at 10 years and 78% at 20 years.
Gout