A 48-year-old man complains of joint pain and stiffness for the past three months. All of the following are evidence of the diagnosis of rheumatoid ahritis (RA), EXCEPT:
High-Yield Explanation
Morning stiffness lasting more than one hour is characteristic of RA. Bilateral and symmetrical metacarpophalangeal joint involvement is very common. Subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules are found in 20-25% of patients, especially over the olecranon, extensor forearm, and Achilles' tendon. Some patients experience Raynaud's phenomenon, that is, blanching of the fingers on exposure to cold. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes predominate in synol fluid from patients with RA. Ref: O'Dell J.R., Imboden J.B., Miller L.D. (2013). Chapter 15. Rheumatoid Ahritis. In J.B. Imboden, D.B. Hellmann, J.H. Stone (Eds), CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Rheumatology, 3e.