Rheumatology
Browse 73 topics in rheumatology.
Acute Gout in Adults
Acute gout is an intensely painful, inflammatory monoarthritis caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals within joints and soft tissues. It is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men,...
Acute Low Back Pain
However, the critical clinical challenge lies in identifying the 5-15% of patients with potentially serious underlying pathology—collectively termed "red flag" conditions—including cauda equina syndrome, malignancy,...
Acute Nephritic Syndrome
Acute Nephritic Syndrome is a clinical constellation resulting from inflammatory injury to the glomerulus. It is charact... MRCP exam preparation.
Adult-Onset Still's Disease
Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic autoinflammatory disorder characterized by the classic triad of qu... MRCP exam preparation.
Alopecia Areata (Adult)
Alopecia areata (AA) is a common, T-cell mediated autoimmune disorder characterised by non-scarring hair loss manifesting as well-demarcated, round or oval patches of complete alopecia. The condition affects...
ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
1.1 Summary ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) represents a group of rare, heterogeneous, and life-threatening multi-system autoimmune disorders characterized by necrotizing inflammation of small-to-medium-sized blood...
Ankle Arthritis (Adult)
Ankle arthritis represents a fundamentally different pathological entity from hip or knee osteoarthritis. While hip and ... FRCS (Tr&Orth) exam preparation.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
AS is strongly associated with HLA-B27 positivity (present in 85-95% of patients), though only 1-5% of HLA-B27-positive individuals develop the disease, indicating additional genetic and environmental factors are...
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease primarily affecting the axial skeleton, characte... MRCP exam preparation.
Anterior Uveitis
Anterior uveitis (iritis/iridocyclitis) is inflammation of the iris and ciliary body, presenting as a painful red eye wi... MRCP, FRCS Ophth exam preparation.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Diagnostic Pearl : Antiphospholipid antibodies must be positive on TWO separate occasions, at least 12 weeks apart, to confirm diagnosis. Transient aPL positivity is common following infections, medications, or...
Avascular Necrosis of the Hip - Adult
Avascular necrosis (AVN), also termed osteonecrosis, is the ischaemic death of bone tissue in the femoral head due to in... FRCS (Tr&Orth), FRACS (Orth) exam pr
Baker's Cyst (Popliteal Cyst)
A Baker's cyst (popliteal cyst) is a fluid-filled synovial cyst that forms in the popliteal fossa, typically as a distension of the gastrocnemius-semimembranosus bursa. It is almost always secondary to intra-articular...
Behçet's Disease
Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing, multisystem inflammatory disorder characterised by recurrent oral and gen... MRCP exam preparation.
Brucellosis (Malta Fever)
Brucellosis is a systemic zoonotic infection caused by Brucella species, small Gram-negative, facultatively intracellula... MRCP exam preparation.
Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease (CPPD)
CPPD predominantly affects older adults, with radiographic chondrocalcinosis present in 15-30% of people aged 70 years and up to 50% of those 90 years . However, symptomatic disease is considerably less common than...
Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM)
The clinical syndrome is characterised by an insidious onset of neurological dysfunction manifesting as deterioration in fine motor control of the hands, gait disturbance with spastic features, and a distinctive...
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
Comprehensive evidence-based guide to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis and management including IOM/CDC criteria, post-exertional malaise, severity classification, and energy management...
Costochondritis
The pathognomonic feature is reproducible, localized tenderness on palpation of the affected costochondral junctions, most frequently involving the 2nd to 5th ribs. Unlike cardiac pain, costochondritis is typically...
Cryoglobulinaemic Vasculitis
Cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis is a systemic small-vessel vasculitis mediated by cryoglobulins—immunoglobulins that revers... MRCP exam preparation.
Crystal Arthropathies (Gout & CPPD)
Crystal arthropathies represent a group of inflammatory joint diseases caused by the deposition of crystals within synovial fluid and periarticular tissues. The two principal conditions in this category are gout...
Dermatomyositis
Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy characterised by the combination of proximal muscle weakness... MRCP exam preparation.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) comprise a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of hereditary connective tissue ... MRCPCH, FRACP exam preparation.
Erythema Nodosum
The condition demonstrates female predominance (3-6:1) with peak incidence in the third and fourth decades. Löfgren's syndrome—the triad of erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, and...
Fibromyalgia
Management is multidisciplinary and centres on patient education, graded aerobic exercise, and pharmacological interventions targeting central pain mechanisms (tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine...
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is a chronic, systemic, granulomatous vasculitis of large and medium-sized arteries, preferen... MRCP exam preparation.
Giant Cell Arteritis (Temporal Arteritis)
A comprehensive, evidence-based guide to Giant Cell Arteritis, covering emergency management of visual loss, temporal artery ultrasound, tocilizumab therapy, and steroid-sparing strategies. Essential reading for MRCP,...
Gout and Crystal Arthropathies
Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis worldwide, affecting approximately 2.5% of adults in developed countries. It is a crystal deposition disease caused by the precipitation of Monosodium Urate (MSU)...
Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)
A comprehensive, evidence-based guide to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), covering c-ANCA/PR3 pathogenesis, pulmonary-renal syndrome, necrotising granulomatous inflammation, and modern immunosuppressive therapy...
Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (IgA Vasculitis)
Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP), now formally known as IgA Vasculitis (IgAV) , is the most common systemic vasculitis in children , with an incidence of 10-20 per 100,000 children per year. It is a small vessel...
IgA Vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)
IgA Vasculitis (IgAV), formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) , is the most common systemic vasculitis in childhood , characterised by IgA1-dominant immune complex-mediated small vessel vasculitis affecting...
IgG4-Related Disease
IgG4-RD typically affects middle-aged to elderly men with a median age of 60 years and a male-to-female ratio of 2-3:1, though head and neck involvement shows equal sex distribution. The disease is characterised by...
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
JIA affects approximately 1 in 1,000 children and represents a major cause of chronic disability in the paediatric population. The condition is characterised by chronic synovial inflammation leading to joint pain,...
Kawasaki Disease
The primary concern is the development of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) , which occur in 15-25% of untreated cases but can be reduced to less than 5% with prompt treatment using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) 2...
Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
Lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as "tennis elbow," is a degenerative tendinopathy affecting the common extensor origin at the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, most commonly involving the extensor carpi...
Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
Lateral epicondylitis, colloquially termed "tennis elbow," represents the most common cause of lateral elbow pain in adults and constitutes a significant cause of occupational morbidity. The condition is characterised...
Lichen Planus (Adult)
Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder affecting the skin, mucous membranes, hair follicles, and nails. First described by Erasmus Wilson in 1869, it is characterized by a distinctive...
Low Back Pain and Sciatica
Low Back Pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. 85% of cases are "Non-specific Mechanical LBP" where no specific anatomical cause (like cancer or infection) is found.
Lupus Nephritis
Lupus nephritis (LN) represents one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), characteri... MRCP exam preparation.
Lyme Disease
A comprehensive evidence-based guide to Lyme Disease covering epidemiology, pathophysiology, the two-tier diagnostic testing protocol, stage-based management with antibiotic regimens, and complications including...
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
The defining serological hallmark is the presence of high-titre anti-U1 RNP antibodies, which are essential for diagnosis. Clinical manifestations typically evolve over time, with early disease characterized by...
Muller-Weiss Syndrome
The hallmark radiographic feature is the "comma-shaped" navicular on lateral radiographs, reflecting compression of the lateral portion and extrusion of the medial fragment dorsally. As the lateral column collapses,...
Multiple Myeloma
The disease primarily affects older adults with a median age at diagnosis of approximately 70 years (range 65-74 years). The classic clinical features are remembered by the mnemonic "CRAB" : C alcium elevation...
Olecranon Bursitis (Adult)
Olecranon Bursitis is inflammation of the superficial subcutaneous bursa overlying the olecranon process at the posterior aspect of the elbow. It represents one of the most common superficial bursitides encountered in...
Osteoporosis
Clinically, it is known as the "silent thief" because bone loss occurs without symptoms until a fragility fracture occurs. A fragility fracture is defined as a fracture resulting from a fall from standing height or...
Paget's Disease of Bone
The disease typically affects individuals over 55 years of age and is frequently asymptomatic, discovered incidentally through elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) or characteristic radiological findings. When...
Paget's Disease of Bone
A comprehensive guide to Paget's Disease of Bone, covering pathophysiology, the 'Cotton Wool' skull appearance, isolated raised Alkaline Phosphatase, bisphosphonate therapy, and complications including osteosarcoma.
Polyarteritis Nodosa
Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a rare necrotizing vasculitis that primarily affects medium-sized muscular arteries, leadi... MRCP exam preparation.
Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN)
PAN can be idiopathic (most cases in developed countries) or associated with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection (classic association, now less than 5% due to vaccination programs). The disease affects multiple organ...
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
The disease has a striking demographic profile: it is almost never seen in individuals under 50 years of age, with peak incidence occurring between 70-80 years. Women are affected approximately twice as frequently as...
Polymyositis (Adult)
Polymyositis (PM) is a rare, chronic autoimmune inflammatory myopathy characterized by symmetric proximal muscle weakness without the cutaneous manifestations seen in dermatomyositis. It represents one of the...
Prepatellar Bursitis (Housemaid's Knee)
Prepatellar bursitis is inflammation of the prepatellar bursa, a superficial synovial-lined sac located anterior to the patella between the skin and the kneecap. It presents as a discrete, localised swelling over the...
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
The disease predominantly affects middle-aged women (female to male ratio 9:1), with peak diagnosis between ages 40-60 years. The pathognomonic serological feature is the presence of anti-mitochondrial antibodies...
Psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis (psoriasis vulgaris) accounts for 80-90% of cases and follows a relapsing-remitting course with significant impact on quality of life. Management follows a stepwise approach: topical therapy (vitamin...
Psoriatic Arthritis
CASPAR Criteria Gold Standard : Diagnosis requires established inflammatory arthritis (peripheral, spinal, or entheseal) PLUS ≥3 points from: current psoriasis (2), history of psoriasis (1), family history of...
Reactive Arthritis (Adult)
Reactive arthritis (ReA) is a sterile inflammatory arthritis that develops following an infection at a distant site, typically gastrointestinal or genitourinary . It is classified as one of the seronegative...
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterised by symmetrical inflammatory polyarthrit... MRCP exam preparation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder primarily characterised by a symmetri... MRCP exam preparation.
Rotator Cuff Tear (Adult)
Rotator cuff tears represent the most common pathology of the shoulder, affecting approximately 20-30% of the general population and increasing dramatically with age to over 50% in individuals aged 60 years and older....
Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy and Tears
Rotator cuff disease encompasses a spectrum of pathology affecting the four rotator cuff tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor), ranging from acute inflammatory tendonitis through...
Sarcoidosis
Diagnostic Pearl : Löfgren's Syndrome (erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, polyarthritis/arthralgia) is highly specific (95%) for sarcoidosis. In this specific setting, biopsy is generally not required...
Sjögren's Syndrome (Adult)
Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterised by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine g... MRCP, MRCPCH exam preparation.
Subtalar Arthritis
Patients present with a characteristic inability to walk on uneven ground (the "cobblestone sign"), deep lateral or medial hindfoot pain (sinus tarsi region), and progressive loss of hindfoot motion. The condition is...
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, relapsing-remitting multisystem autoimmune disease characterised by los... MRCP exam preparation.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is the distinct prototype of a systemic autoimmune disease. Unlike organ-specific des... MRCP exam preparation.
Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, progressive autoimmune connective tissue disease characterised by the triad of fi... MRCP exam preparation.
Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
SSc represents one of the most challenging rheumatological conditions due to its heterogeneous clinical manifestations, ... MRCP exam preparation.
Talonavicular Arthritis
Talonavicular (TN) arthritis represents pathological degeneration of the "Coxa Pedis" or "Hip of the Foot"—the critical ball-and-socket articulation formed between the head of the talus and the concave socket created...
TMT Arthritis
Arthritis of the Tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints, also known as Midfoot Arthritis, is a common cause of dorsal foot pain and difficulty wearing shoes. It primarily affects the 2nd and 3rd TMT joints (the rigid "Keystone"...
Trigger Finger
The condition affects approximately 2-3% of the general adult population, with a marked female predominance (6:1) and peak incidence in the 5th-6th decades of life. Prevalence increases substantially in patients with...
Triple Arthrodesis
The Triple Arthrodesis is the definitive salvage procedure for severe, rigid hindfoot deformity and pan-talar arthritis.... FRCS exam preparation.
Vasculitis - Comprehensive
Vasculitis is inflammation of blood vessel walls leading to vessel damage, narrowing, occlusion, and subsequent organ is... MRCP exam preparation.
Vasculitis Emergency
Vasculitis emergencies occur when inflammation of blood vessels causes acute life-threatening organ damage requiring imm... MRCP, FRACP exam preparation.