Raynaud's phenomenon associated with psoriatic arthritis

Mohd Jazman Che Rahim1,2, Jo Anne Lim3,2, Wan Syamimee Wan Ghazali3,2

  • 1Internal Medicine, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bahru, Kelantan, Malaysia drjazman@usm.my.

BMJ Case Reports
|March 5, 2024
PubMed

We report a case of Raynaud's phenomenon in a patient with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A middle-aged right-handed housewife presented with complaints of severely painful hand discolouration for 1 week, which usually worsened with cold exposure. She was diagnosed with PsA 6 months earlier. Her PsA was well controlled with weekly methotrexate. Physical examination showed no features of scleroderma or skin necrosis of her right hand. Both radial pulses were strong and symmetrical. Her nailfolds were visibly normal. The extractable nuclear antigen panel and other blood investigations were negative for scleroderma and other possible causes of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. Occupational or environmental factors were also excluded. Dermatoscope examination of the nailfolds revealed some areas of dilated capillary loops, areas of vascular sparing and proximal nail fold telangiectasia. The diagnosis of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon was made, and an oral calcium channel blocker was started. The patient had significant improvement in symptoms shortly afterwards.

Related Concept Videos

Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System01:18

Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is an intricate network of nerves that controls functions such as the regulation of heart rate, digestion, and blood pressure regulation. When this system malfunctions, it can lead to various disorders that affect multiple bodily functions. One common feature of many autonomic disorders is the involvement of smooth blood vessels, which play a crucial role in regulating blood flow throughout the body.
Raynaud's disease, also known as Raynaud's...
637
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease01:27

Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a multidisciplinary field that examines how psychological factors, particularly stress, interact with the immune system and impact physical health. Research in PNI has shown that chronic or traumatic stress can disrupt both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. These disruptions contribute to serious health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases.
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
30
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
1.0K
Autoimmune Disorders01:29

Autoimmune Disorders

Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells, tissues, and organs. This results from an overactive immune response against substances and tissues normally present in the body. Let's delve into the concept and mechanism of autoimmune diseases from an immune system point of view, explore different causes and examples of such diseases, and discuss potential solutions.
Concept and Mechanism of Autoimmune Diseases
The immune...
434
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
8.9K