[A case of rheumatoid arthritis associated with polyneuritis]

A 57-year-old woman suffered from polyarthralgia for 7 years, and was treated by using NSAID with the diagnosis of RA. From Jan. 20th 1987, she complained of back pain and numbness of both hands, and from May 7th 1987, she also complained of dysphagia and dysarthria, and she was not able to button up. Soon afterwards she could eat only one custard pudding a day, so she admitted to our hospital on March 17th 1987. The neurological examination showed hyporeflexia and muscle weakness of the four extremities; and hypesthesia of the 7th to 11th intercostal nerve area and both lateral sides of the dorsum pedis. The laboratory examination showed ESR 17 mm/h, gamma-glob 1.66 g/dl, CRP(+), RAHA 80 x, CH50 24.0 U/dl, HLA-antigen; DR 4(+). Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed cell 5/mm3, protein 63 mg/dl, IgG 13 mg/dl, IgG% 20.6%. X-ray examination indicated destruction of both wrists, left elbow, right 2-5th MTP, and left 5th MTP joints. A light microscopic examination of the left sural nerve showed perivascular infiltration with lymphocyte, occasional macrophages and giant cells at the epineurium, and no demyelination or Wallerian degeneration at the nerve fiber. These histological findings were the same as type-I arteritis in nerves in RA proposed by D.L. Conn. Clinical improvement was obtained after administration of prednisolone 30-60 mg/day.