ARTHRITIS

ARTHRITIS

Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation; plural:
arthritides) is a group of conditions involving damage to the
joints of the body.
There are different forms of arthritis and each has a different
cause. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis
(degenerative joint disease) is a result of trauma to the joint,
infection of the joint, or age. Other arthritis forms are
rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune diseases
in which the body attacks itself. Septic arthritis is caused by joint
infection. Gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid
crystals in the joint, causing inflammation. There is also an
uncommon form of gout caused by the formation of rhomboid crystals of calcium pyrophosphate. This gout is known as pseudogout.

Types of arthritis

Primary forms of arthritis:

  • * Osteoarthritis
  • * Rheumatoid arthritis
  • * Septic arthritis
  • * Gout and pseudogout
  • * Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
  • Still’s disease
  • * Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Secondary to other diseases:
  • * Lupus erythematosus
  • * Sarcoidosis
  • * Henoch-Schönlein purpura
  • * Psoriatic arthritis
  • * Reactive arthritis
  • * Haemochromatosis
  • * Hepatitis
  • * Wegener’s granulomatosis (and many other vasculitis syndromes)
  • * Lyme disease
  • * Familial Mediterranean fever
  • * Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with recurrent fever
  • * TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome
  • * Inflammatory bowel disease (Including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)

Diseases that can mimic arthritis include:

  • * Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
  • * Multiple myeloma
  • * Osteoporosis
  • * Fifth disease (parvovirus infection)
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