Sunday, February 2, 2014

Image of the Week 2/04/2014




A woman presents with the following physical findings. What inflammatory disease might you suspect?

2 comments:

  1. Rheumatoid Arthritis - swan neck deformities in hands

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  2. You got it!

    Answer:

    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In patients with RA, the digits, wrists, shoulders, knees, ankles, and elbows can become inflamed. Advanced disease results in ulnar deviation of the fingers and flexion of the distal interphalangeal joints with hyperextension of the proximal interphalangeal joints, producing a swan-neck deformity. Because it is a systemic disease, RA may result in a variety of extraarticular manifestations, including fatigue, subcutaneous nodules, lung involvement, pericarditis, peripheral neuropathy, vasculitis, and hematologic abnormalities.

    Photo and explanation courtesy of: Hurst’s the Heart

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