INTERMETATARSAL BURSITIS AS A MANIFESTATION OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS – A CASE PRESENTATION

Authors:

Mirna Reihl, Miroslav Mayer, Branimir Anić

Summary

We present a patient with an exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis featuring intermetatarsal bursitis. Inflammatory changes in the intermetatarsal bursae were confirmed by ultrasonography, whereas there was no sign of inflammation in the metatarsophalangeal joints. Enlarged structures of the intermetatarsal bursae that transgressed the normal anatomical boundaries, thus producing the ‘hourglass’ sign, were visualized by magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasound-controlled infiltration of depo-methylprednisolon administered to the affected bursae led to clinical improvement and radiological regression. Administration of a biological agent would be the next disease-management option in line with the therapeutic guidelines in the setting of active arthritis suspected in our patient’s arthritis flare up. Thus we would like to emphasize the value of musculosceletal US and targeted intervention in ‘tight-control’ disease management and in differentiating the cause of metatarsalgia in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Further investigations are required to determine the incidence of intermetatarsal bursitis in rheumatoid arthritis as well as their clinical and prognostic significance and optimal therapeutic approach.

Sažetak
U radu je prikazana bolesnica s reumatoidnim artritisom i egzacerbacijom bolesti koja se očitovala pretežno intermetatarzalnim burzitisom. On je objektiviziran muskuloskeletnim ultrazvukom, dok nalaz na metatarzofalangealnim zglobovima nije upućivao na upalnu aktivnost. Na prikazu zahvaćenog stopala magnetskom rezonancijom jasno su vidljive povećane strukture intermetatarzalnih burza, koje prelaze uobičajene anatomske granice te tvore znak pješčanog sata. Učinjena je infiltracija burza depo-pripravkom metilprednizolona, čime su postignuti znatno kliničko poboljšanje i radiološka regresija upalnih promjena intermetatarzalnih burza. S obzirom na to da je u trenutku egzacerbacije bolesti postavljena sumnja na aktivni artritis, a bolesnica je prethodno liječena konvencionalnom terapijom (cDMARD) te bi se, prema terapijskim smjernicama, u tom trenutku trebala uvesti biološka terapija, istaknuta je vrijednost muskuloskeletnog ultrazvuka i ciljane intervencije poduprte ultrazvukom u striktnoj kontroli aktivnosti bolesti i razlučivanju uzroka metatarzalgije u pacijenata s upalnim reumatskim bolestima. U daljnjim istraživanjima nužno je bolje opisati pojavnost intermetatarzalnih burza u reumatoidnom artritisu, njihovo kliničko i prognostičko značenje i optimalne terapijske pristupe.

Vol.: 64

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