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Beyond the joints: neurological involvement in rheumatoid arthritis.

Authors :
Ramos-Remus C
Duran-Barragan S
Castillo-Ortiz JD
Source :
Clinical rheumatology [Clin Rheumatol] 2012 Jan; Vol. 31 (1), pp. 1-12. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Sep 20.
Publication Year :
2012

Abstract

Although arthritis is the most notable component, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disorder where extra-articular manifestations are common; among them, central and peripheral nervous system involvement is frequent and associated with significant morbidity and, in some cases, reduced life span. It may produce a myriad of symptoms and signs ranging from subtle numbness in a hand, to quadriparesis and sudden death. Central and peripheral neurologic manifestations may arise from structural damage produced by RA in diarthroidal joints, by the systemic inflammatory process of the disease itself or by the drugs used to treat it. Neurologic syndromes may appear suddenly or developed slowly through months, and emerge early or after years of having RA. Neurologic manifestations may be easily overlooked or incorrectly assigned to peripheral arthritis unless the attending physician is aware of these complications. In this article, we review neurologic involvement in RA patients with emphasis on clinical approach for early detection.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1434-9949
Volume :
31
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Clinical rheumatology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
21932019
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-011-1841-z