Palindromic Rheumatism

Palindromic rheumatism is a type of inflammatory arthritis that is characterized by recurrent episodes of joint pain, swelling, stiffness and redness that come and go without a known cause. It is a rare form of rheumatoid disease in which the symptoms may last for hours, days or weeks before remitting spontaneously. This type of rheumatoid arthritis affects adults but can also occur in children. It appears to be more common in women. In most cases, palindromic rheumatism is self-limiting and does not cause long-term damage to the joints. Treatment is mostly focused on relieving symptoms, including the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids. Other treatments such as physical therapy or biologic drugs may be used in some cases. Palindromic rheumatism is an important condition to recognize because of its potential to be misdiagnosed as other types of inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, that have long-term implications and require more aggressive treatment.