From Pathology to Diagnosis: A Symptom-Free Patient with a Rheumatoid Nodule in the Foot

Ebru TAŞTEKİN, 1 Murat BİRTANE, 2 Serdar KILINÇ, 2 Mert ÇİFTDEMİR, 3 Ufuk USTA, 1 Nurettin TAŞTEKİN2

1Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical Faculty of Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
3Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey

Keywords: Early rheumatoid arthritis; foot; rheumatoid nodule

Abstract

Subcutaneous rheumatoid nodules (RNs) are most commonly seen superficial soft tissue lesions which occur in 20-30% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The foot involvement is rare and only seen in about 1% of all rheumatoid nodules. In this article, we present a 39-yearold female case with a pathologically verified as RN in an uncommon localization with no clear clinical symptoms of RA at onset. The possible role of RNs in early RA was stressed in the patient presenting with inflammatory joint signs in the course of follow-up.