title: Upper airway obstruction as the sole manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: A 51-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suddenly developed laryngeal stridor. Rheumatoid factor was positive and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated, but she had no evidence of acute peripheral arthritis at this time. A flexible laryngoscopy revealed cricoarytenoid arthritis which was the sole clinical manifestation of active RA. Involvement of the cricoarytenoid joints must be considered in patients with RA with laryngeal stridor even in the absence of active peripheral arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Internal Medicine, El Paso 79905.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marwah
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D003413:Cricoid Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012217:Rheumatoid Factor