Arthritis in older persons: recent advances in diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment. Section I. The interpretation and use of newer diagnostic studies. Introduction.
The diagnosis and the treatment of rheumatic diseases in older people pose special problems. Degenerative joint disease, almost universally present in the elderly, may not be the basis for the newly developing rheumatic symptoms. Systemic inflammatory disease may be confused with malignancy or it may be an initial manifestation of malignancy. Some drugs used to control central-nervous-system or cardiovascular disease may produce painful rheumatic syndromes. Results of laboratory tests used in the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases may be altered by other nonrheumatic disorders in older people. Papers in this symposium will explore these concepts in greater detail.
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans