The arthropathy of fibroblastic rheumatism

Arthritis Rheum. 1997 Jan;40(1):183-7. doi: 10.1002/art.1780400124.

Abstract

Fibroblastic rheumatism (FR) is a relatively rare syndrome characterized by the association of multiple cutaneous nodules with polyarthritis. The unique histologic finding in the skin and synovium of patients with FR is a proliferation of myofibroblast-like cells within a background matrix of collagen. The occurrence of erosive arthritis has not been emphasized in previous descriptions of FR. We describe a patient with FR who presented with symmetric polyarthritis, skin thickening, and dermal nodules. Despite treatment with prednisone and D-penicillamine, he developed a progressive, destructive polyarthropathy that mimicked multicentric reticulohistiocytosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Arthritis / pathology
  • Arthritis / therapy
  • Arthrography
  • Collagen
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Extremities / diagnostic imaging
  • Extremities / pathology
  • Fibroblasts / pathology
  • Histiocytosis, Non-Langerhans-Cell / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Joints / pathology*
  • Male
  • Rheumatic Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Rheumatic Diseases / pathology*
  • Rheumatic Diseases / therapy
  • Skin / pathology

Substances

  • Collagen