nodule | Arthritis Information

I think I have a nodule growing in the joint above my left pinky. Its swollen and painful. I have not had a nodule before. Should I call my rheumy? Thanks

Ginny,

Nodules are pretty common, even to find them on the lungs of RA patients. I have quite a few on my joints. I pulled this from arthritis.com:

What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
Symptoms of RA differ from person to person but can generally include:

Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling. Both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time. This is also called a "symmetrical pattern" of inflammation. For example, if one knee is affected, the other one is also. This is in contrast to osteoarthritis, where it is possible for only one knee to be affected.
Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 1 hour in the morning or after a long rest.
Joint inflammation in the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand (although joints of the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, and feet can be affected as well).
Fatigue, an occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well (called malaise).
Symptoms that last for an extended period of time.
Symptoms in other parts of the body, not just in the joints.

RA causes inflammation of the joint lining, which can lead to pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function. It also can cause inflammation of your tear glands, salivary glands, the lining of your heart and lungs, and the lungs themselves.

As RA progresses, about 25% of people with the disease develop small lumps of tissue under the skin, called rheumatoid nodules. These rheumatoid nodules usually aren't painful. The nodules may form under the skin of the elbow, hands, the back of the scalp, over the knee, or on the feet and heels. They can be as small as a pea to as large as a walnut.

Although RA is often a chronic disease, the severity and duration of the symptoms may unpredictably come and go. For people with a severe case of RA, the disease is generally active, lasts for many years, and leads to serious joint damage and disability. Periods of increased disease activity, or worsening of symptoms, are called flare-ups or flares. Periods of remission are when the symptoms fade or disappear.

Don't ya just love this never cease to amaze us disease?

LEV