1. Liver chemistry abnormalities and leg oedema in rheumatoid arthritis.
- Author
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van Soest EM, Liem A, and van Zeben J
- Subjects
- Aged, Ascites diagnosis, Ascites etiology, Cardiac Catheterization methods, Delayed Diagnosis prevention & control, Diagnosis, Differential, Humans, Male, Treatment Outcome, Alkaline Phosphatase blood, Arthritis, Rheumatoid blood, Arthritis, Rheumatoid complications, Arthritis, Rheumatoid diagnosis, Arthritis, Rheumatoid physiopathology, Edema diagnosis, Edema etiology, Leg, Pericardiectomy methods, Pericarditis, Constrictive diagnosis, Pericarditis, Constrictive etiology, gamma-Glutamyltransferase blood
- Abstract
A 66-year-old man with seronegative, erosive rheumatoid arthritis for 12 years presented with malaise, elevated alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, and leg oedema. He subsequently developed ascites. No liver pathology was found, but cardiac analysis including right heart catheterisation revealed constrictive pericarditis. Rheumatoid constrictive pericarditis is a rare condition, but, despite current effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, still occurs. Diagnostic delay is frequent. Although mortality of the intervention is high, pericardiectomy is needed for most patients., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)
- Published
- 2018
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