Clinical Medicine III (Clin Med III) – Inflammatory Arthropathy Q&A (70+ Questions) | 2025 | RA, Gout, Spondyloarthropathies

This in-depth document features over 70 expertly answered questions on Inflammatory Arthropathy, part of the Clinical Medicine III (Clin Med III) curriculum. It extensively covers the pathophysiology, clinical features, and diagnosis of inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint diseases, with particular emphasis on Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Ankylosing Spondylitis, Reactive Arthritis (Reiter’s Syndrome), Psoriatic Arthritis, Gout, and Pseudogout. Key topics include joint involvement patterns, synovial pannus formation, extra-articular RA manifestations, HLA associations (HLA-DR4, HLA-B27), and hallmark deformities such as swan neck and boutonniere deformities. The document also explains characteristic imaging findings like bamboo spine and pencil-in-cup deformity, and includes differential crystal analysis for gout vs. pseudogout (birefringence, crystal shape). Treatment strategies are also discussed, such as the use of NSAIDs, corticosteroids, colchicine, allopurinol, and probenecid, along with important contraindications (e.g., corticosteroids in septic arthritis). Perfect for medical students, nursing students, physician associate/assistant programs, and others studying rheumatology, internal medicine, or preparing for clinical boards and OSCEs. Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, gout, pseudogout, HLA-B27, synovial pannus, joint deformities, birefringent crystals, allopurinol, probenecid, colchicine, enthesitis, inflammatory joint disease