ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Chronic Extremity Joint Pain-Suspected Inflammatory Arthritis, Crystalline Arthritis, or Erosive Osteoarthritis: 2022 Update.

Evaluation for suspected inflammatory arthritis as a cause for chronic extremity joint pain often relies on imaging. It is essential that imaging results are interpreted in the context of clinical and serologic results to add specificity because there is significant overlap of imaging findings among the various types of arthritis. This document provides recommendations for imaging evaluation of specific types of inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthropathy, gout, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate disease (or pseudogout), and erosive osteoarthritis. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances in which peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Distinguishing Periprosthetic Crystalline Arthropathy from Infection in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review.

Distinguishing periprosthetic crystalline arthropathy from periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a diagnostic challenge as both symptom presentation and diagnostic tests overlap. Accurate differentiation is important as treatment plans vary significantly. We sought to systematically review all cases of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) periprosthetic crystalline arthropathy reported in the literature and summarize clinical, diagnostic, and operative findings in the context of guidelines for diagnosing PJI. The goal of this systematic review is to determine the amount of diagnostic overlap and to identify best practices for differentiating between these two diagnoses. MEDLINE and Google Scholar were searched to identify cases of crystalline arthropathy following TKA. Case reports were reviewed for patient characteristics, clinical symptoms, physical exam, laboratory results, and treatment outcomes. These findings were summarized across patients and dichotomized based on current thresholds for diagnosing PJI according to Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria. Twenty-six articles were identified which included 42 cases of periprosthetic crystalline arthropathy (17 gout, 16 pseudogout, one both, and eight not specified). Of these cases, 25 presented over 1 year after their index arthroplasty and 15 had no prior history of crystalline arthropathy. Only six cases had a superimposed infection based on aspiration or intraoperative cultures. For cases without a culture-positive infection, several diagnostic tests overlap with PJI thresholds: 95% of patients had C-reactive protein greater than 1 mg/dL, 76% had an erythrocyte sedimentation rate greater than 30 mm/hour, 91% had a synovial white blood cell greater than 3,000 cells, and 76% had a synovial polymorphonuclear cells percent greater than 80%. Patients without co-infection were managed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine, allopurinol, steroids, or a combination of these treatments and most had complete resolution of symptoms within 1 week. Commonly used markers of PJI fail to reliably distinguish periprosthetic crystalline arthropathy from infection. Though clinical judgement and consideration of the implications of delayed treatment for acute PJI remain paramount, in the setting of synovial crystals, surgeons may wish to consider this alternate etiology as the source of the patient's clinical symptoms.

Acute monoarthritis.

Acute monoarthritis affects a single joint and has many potential underlying causes, including crystal deposition diseases, infection, trauma, and osteoarthritis. A comprehensive health history and physical examination can help narrow the list of differential diagnoses; judicious diagnostic testing can help pinpoint the diagnosis. Clinicians also must be able to recognize which patients require emergency referral to prevent long-term adverse consequences.

Coexistence of septic and crystal-induced arthritis: A diagnostic challenge. A report of 25 cases. / Coexistencia de artritis séptica y microcristalina: un reto diagnóstico. A propósito de 25 casos.

OBJECTIVE: Septic arthritis is a medical emergency and crystal-induced arthritis is a risk factor for its development. If both occur simultaneously, crystal-induced arthritis may mask the diagnosis of infection and delay antibiotic therapy. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of patients with coexistence of septic and crystal-induced arthritis. We included only patients with isolation of crystals in synovial fluid analysis and positive culture of synovial fluid and/or blood culture. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients (17 men and 8 women) with a mean age of 67 years. The most commonly affected joint was the knee. In synovial fluid cytological studies, the most frequently identified crystals were monosodium urate. Risk factors included diabetes and chronic renal failure. The most frequently isolated germs were methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (48%), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (12%) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (12%). In all, 36% of subjects required surgical drainage (excluding those caused by M. tuberculosis). Clinical outcome was favorable in 56%, although intercurrent complications were usual (40%). Mortality was 8%. CONCLUSIONS: Coexistence of septic and crystal-induced arthritis represents a diagnostic challenge and requires a high index of suspicion. Gout was the most prevalent crystal-induced arthritis. S. aureus was the most commonly causative pathogen, with a high rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection. If treated early, the outcome is usually favorable, making synovial fluid microbiological study imperative.

Inflammatory arthritis and crystal arthropathy: Current concepts of skin and systemic manifestations.

Systemic inflammatory disorders frequently involve the skin, and when cutaneous disease develops, such dermatologic manifestations may represent the initial sign of disease and may also provide valuable prognostic information about the underlying disorder. Familiarity with the various skin manifestations of systemic disease is therefore paramount and increases the likelihood of accurate diagnosis, which may facilitate the implementation of an appropriate treatment strategy. An improvement in quality of life and a reduction in the degree of morbidity may also be a realized benefit of accurate recognition of these skin signs. With this context in mind, this review highlights the salient clinical features and unique dermatologic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, adult-onset Still's disease, and the crystal arthropathy, gout.

Crystalline arthropathy and bone health.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to provide insight on the proposed association between crystal arthritis and bone health. Crystal arthritis is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis, and fractures contribute to significant morbidity and mortality, therefore, the relationship between the two is of clinical importance. RECENT FINDINGS: There have been variable findings regarding hyperuricemia, low bone density and risk of fracture. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of available literature showed a correlation between increased serum uric acid and lower risk of fracture. Less is known about calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease and bone health, although two large studies have suggested an association with osteopenia. SUMMARY: A systematic review and meta-analysis of available data suggest a correlation between increased serum uric acid and lower risk of fracture. Findings support an association between bone health and crystal arthritis which warrants further study and may have implications for how we treat gout.