Musculoskeletal Key

INTRODUCTION Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder of exocrine glands. It particularly affects the lacrimal and salivary glands. Dry mouth and dry eyes are frequently the presenting symptoms….

CASE STUDY 1 A 34-year-old woman is referred by her primary physician for musculoskeletal pain and stiffness involving joints and muscles which has been present for approximately 1 year, but…

INTRODUCTION Rheumatic diseases disproportionately affect women and, in some patients, may be serious enough to preclude consideration of pregnancy; however, with advances in rheumatology therapies and sophisticated reproductive technologies, increasing…

POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA A 72-year-old white woman requests urgent evaluation for increasing achiness of 6 weeks’ duration. Symptoms began shortly after a 3 day family reunion, during which time she “cooked…

Osteoporosis has been defined as a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing to an increased risk of fracture. Bone strength is determined by many factors, including bone…

CASE STUDY 1 A 66-year-old man is seen in consultation for acute foot pain 3 days following partial colectomy with reanastomosis for diverticulitis. There had been no surgical complications. He…

Septic arthritis is a term often used to describe patients with an acute pyogenic joint infection due to a bacterial pathogen. The term may also be used in reference to…

A 52-year-old woman presented with a 2-week history of progressive joint and muscle pain with stiffness in the upper arm and leg musculature. She had been exercising regularly for years…

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM VASCULITIS A 34-year-old woman is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) following presentation to the emergency department with slurred speech, right-sided arm and leg weakness, severe…