Bringing together many diseases of inflammatory origin, arthritis is a common condition whose prevalence increases with age. What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis? What are the causes and different types of arthritis?
Reactive, septic, infectious, psoriatic… Arthritis is a term that designates many pathologies with various symptoms. arthritis corresponds to a set of inflammatory phenomena that affect the joint and bones, and which are accompanied by more or less severe pain. Acute pathologies or chronic and progressive linked to arthritis concern above all adults from the age of 40, knowing that certain forms can affect children and young adolescents. What is arthritis? What is the difference with osteoarthritis? What are the treatments for arthritis?
Definition: what is arthritis?
arthritis is a joint inflammation, but can also affect the other structures that compose them (tendons, ligaments, capsule, etc.). Arthritis can have many origins, in particular trauma, infection, autoimmune disease or chronic inflammatory joint disease such as ankylosing spondylitis Or rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis can affect a single joint (monoarthritis) for example in the case of gout, several joints often close to each other (oligoarthritis) or many joints (polyarthritis) as in rheumatoid arthritis.
What is the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis?
arthritis designates an inflammatory pathology while osteoarthritis is essentially mechanical, it is caused by an alteration of the cartilage which will gradually wear out and disappear leaving the bones in contact with each other causing pain occurring during movement. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the erosion of the surface of the cartilage of the joints concerned. “The two are differentiated by the clinic and joint analysis. Inflammation will be diagnosed when there is synovial effusion” indicates thee Pr Francis Berenbaum, rheumatologist.
What are the different types of arthritis?
The main pathologies linked to arthritis are classified into several types:
► rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects 0.5 to 1% of the population, and is characterized by inflammation of various joints, but also of certain internal organs.
► “Drop is characterized by too high a level of uric acid in the blood causing characteristic sharp pain, particularly in the big toe“, reports Dr. Jacques Amselem, general practitioner.
► Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that affects various organs of the body, including the joints.
► Childhood arthritis or juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a fairly common disorder in children, observed especially during growth.
► infectious arthritis is a form inflammatory arthritis caused by an infectious agent (virus, bacteria, fungus) which, once introduced into the body, enters the joints. The infection usually occurs following an injury or surgery. This type of arthritis can occur at any age. Samples of synovial fluid (fluid of the joint) make it possible to identify the responsible germ.
► Reactive (or reactive) arthritis is a form of arthritis that occurs as a result of infection. However, unlike infectious arthritis, it is not characterized by the presence of the infectious agent inside the joint. The joint fluid sample therefore does not find any germs. The legs, fingers and wrists are often the first areas affected. The joint becomes swollen, hot and painful. Reactive arthritis usually fades after a few weeks.
► septic arthritis is a rare, serious, sometimes fatal disease, secondary to invasion of the joint by a bacterial germ. Contamination of the joint can be done directly via a wound for example, or through blood. Only one joint is affected. The joint in question is hot, inflamed, responsible for significant pain, preventing normal movements. The patient is tired, pale, has fever, chills. A joint sample must be taken very quickly for analysis and research of the bacteria in question and antibiotic treatment must be started even before the results of these examinations.
► Psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma and ankylosing spondylitis are other pathologies falling into the category of arthritis. “Spondyloarthritis is an inflammation that mainly affects the spine and peripheral joints. emphasizes Professor Berenbaum.
What causes arthritis?
THE aginga family genetic predisposition (in the case of so-called autoimmune inflammatory diseases), overweight and obesity, and episodes of infections, bacterial or viral, represent risk factors. “Moreover, during a trauma, the joint swells and can cause arthritis“adds the rheumatologist.
What are the signs of arthritis?
The most common symptoms of arthritis are acute or chronic pain located in one or more joints, stiffness or limitation of joint movement, joint effusion, feeling of heat in the limbs, fatigue, inflammation and fever. The manifestations of arthritis are those of any inflammation : redness, heat, swelling, pain. The symptoms then vary depending on the condition in question. In general, we find:
- a pain tendons which may tend to disappear with movement in the event of benign evolution;
- of the stiffness joints;
- A effusion joint, indicating the presence of fluid in the joint;
- an important fatigue ;
- the appearance of lumps skin at an advanced stage;
The most commonly affected joints are hands, wrists, elbows, knees, hips, ankles, spine, cervical region and shoulders.
Diagnosis is based primarily on history, and clinical examination (inspection of the joints, checking of the articular amplitudes, of the movements), medical imaging (standard X-rays and in some cases ultrasound, scanner or MRI). These examinations make it possible to visualize and assess the degree of joint damage (calcifications). In case of effusion, a synovial fluid test is done. “To diagnose gout, the level of uric acid in the blood is evaluated, for rheumatoid arthritis the antibodies are assayed. Inflammation of the pelvic joints will point to spondyloarthritis“says Professor Berenbaum.
The specific treatment of the cause is an essential prerequisite in the event of a diagnosis accessible to a specific treatment. Moreover, there are several methods to relieve arthritis. On the one hand, we often call on a physiotherapist which will help reduce joint stiffness and relieve pain. Resting the joint is recommended to fight against pain. You can also apply cold on the joint for a short time to relieve inflammation. Medicines exist to fight against pain, in particular painkillers pure, anti-inflammatories and when they are not enough, we offer corticosteroid injections.
To prevent arthritis, we must first of all maintain a correct weight, which avoids the suffering of the joints, especially those of the lower limbs. In addition, in certain types of arthritis such as gout, it is advisable to avoid certain foods such as beer, and not not abuse others such as meat, fish or dairy products.
Thank you to Pr Francis Berenbaum, rheumatologist and Head of the Rheumatology Department at Saint-Antoine Hospital and Dr Jacques Amselem, general practitioner.