A case of early rheumatoid arthritis with rapid bilateral destruction of the hip joints

Abstract

We report a case of a postmenopausal female patient who first developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the right shoulder joint with subsequent rapid bilateral destruction of the hip joints. She had been prescribed oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at a peripheral clinic and had experienced some pain relief. However, she subsequently developed bilateral destruction of the hip joints, which progressed rapidly during the next 6–12 months, for which she had to undergo bilateral total hip arthroplasty. RA rarely occurs in the hip joints in the early stage of the disease, but when it does, the process of joint destruction may progress rapidly. Therefore, with a history of pain in the hip joints in the absence of inducing factors, it is important to initiate the administration of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs along with repetitive radiographic observation.

Keywords:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• hip joint
• rapidly progressive destruction
• diagnosis of early RA
• acetabular dysplasia

Acknowledgements

This work was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Nara Hospital, Kindai University.

Conflict of interest

None.