Inflammatory Arthritis

Excerpt

Arthritis is defined as "painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints." Arthritis can be broadly classified into two categories, inflammatory arthritis and non-inflammatory arthritis. Differentiating whether arthritis in a patient is inflammatory or non-inflammatory is the crucial first step towards further diagnosing and managing the patient. Inflammatory arthritis is usually associated with the classic symptoms of inflammation - dolor (pain), rubor (erythema), calor (warmth), tumor (swelling), and functio laesa (loss of function), although all the features may not always be present. Inflammatory arthritis can be due to several etiologies, including infectious and non-infectious, and may or may not be associated with systemic features of the underlying condition causing inflammatory arthritis. If left untreated, inflammatory arthritis invariably leads to joint damage and deformities.