Palindromic rheumatism
Evidence: Unconfirmed
Names
Palindromic rheumatism syndrome
Hench-Rosenberg syndrome
Hench’s syndrome
Description
Palindromic rheumatism is a disorder that involves episodes of joint inflammation that can affect one or many joint areas. The cause is unknown, but there is evidence that it may result from autoinflammatory processes. The episodes can last from hours to days, and the time between episodes can range from days to months. Most individuals with the disorder experience multiple episodes per year. The episodes leave no lasting damage, and there are typically no symptoms between episodes. Studies have shown that roughly half of all patients diagnosed with palindromic rheumatism eventually develop rheumatoid arthritis. Some researchers believe that palindromic rheumatism is simply an early symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. Treatments to manage symptoms are still under investigation.
Patient Groups
Prevalence
No data found. Powell 2008 suggests the disease is more common that believed, but no data was provided in the abstract to support this.
Typical Age of onset
No recent data currently available, but previous studies report age of onset between 36 and 52 years of age.
Source: Powell (2008)
Symptoms
Episodes of joint inflammation that can last hours to days
Pain, swelling, stiffness and redness of affected joints
No symptoms between episodes
