|
Rheumatology, the subspecialty of internal medicine, is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists primarily treat by having problems involving a muscles and/or joints.
Diseases
Diseases diagnosed or even managed per rheumatologist include:
rheumatoid arthritis
lupus erythematosus
Sjögren's syndrome
scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
dermatomyositis
polychondritis
polymyositis
polymyalgia rheumatica
osteoarthritis
septic arthritis
gout, pseudogout
spondyloarthropathies
ankylosing spondylitis
Reiter's syndrome
psoriatic arthropathy
enteropathic spondylitis
reactive arthropathy
vasculitis
polyarteritis nodosa
Henoch-Schönlein purpura
serum sickness
Wegener's granulomatosis
giant cell arteritis
temporal arteritis
Takayasu's arteritis
Behçet's syndrome
Kawasaki's disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome)
Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
Diagnosis
Apart from either an extensive medical history & physical examination, a rheumatologist can use a below symptomatic methods:
Laboratory tests (e.g. erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor)
X-rays of affected joints and more imaging methods
Cytology and chemical pathology of fluid aspirated from affected joints (e.g. to differentiate between septic arthritis and gout)
Treatment
Virtually all creaky diseases come treated by using analgesics, NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs), steroids (in good lawsuits), DMARDs ("steroid-sparing" agents) & monoclonal antibodies, such as a recently introduced infliximab and etanercept.
Physiotherapy is vital in the treatment of numbers of rheumatological disorders. Occupational therapy can help patients searching for guide ways for most common movements which would otherwise exist as restricted by their disease.
Scientific research
a big body of recent research project treats the background of autoimmune disease, the induced of numerous arthritic disorders. Epidemiologic studies & medication lawsuits come as well conducted.
|