Inflammatory Arthropathy?

rachelj

I have just had a copy of the letter the rheumatologist sent back to my GP after my first consultation I did have to chuckle at the top line of the letter it just says "Diagnosis: Joint Pain" well there we go no need to read on is there :-) I have deciphered his acronyms for all the joints, what has got me is his later referral to "Inflammatory Arthropathy".

Anyone know what this might mean, I have had a quick Google, and some sites say its used to refer to the group of arthritis' including RA, others imply its different, the rest babble on about some tests with mice! Arthropathy on its own just seems to refer to a painful joint, so is he just agreeing that my joint are inflamed?

Anyone else had a similar term applied on their path to a diagnosis? I have an appointment already booked with my GP for Friday to discuss pain medication as I have had to stop taking the ibuprofen after I discovered it was the cause of endless stomach pains. I guess we have something else to discuss now too.

Not overly thrilled with the letter, he lists my "Management" but doesn't include the co-codamol, nor the fact that its not just my hands, its my wrists and ankles. I told him my maternal grandmother had RA but has stated "no close family has a history of RA". Does close Family only refer to parents and siblings?

If I had a letter from anyone else with such inaccuracies and omissions I would write back, but I guess that's not the done thing.


Rach

dorcas

Hi rachel,

a bit of a 'mixed bag' that letter from rheummy... so lot's to talk about with your GP. :!:

My rheummy uses both the terms Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriatic Arthropathy when filling in his reports about me.

I did ask... and was told that PA is one of the sero-negative arthropathies .... hence the use of the term 'arthropathy'.
Was told it just means pathology or abnormality of a joint.

I don't know if that helps you any perhaps someone else will have more info on this or you could post a question to the helpline?

hope you get some answers from your doc.

annoying that there are inaccuracies or missing info in the report. sometimes what's significant to us just isn't significant to the docs.

iris xx

speedalong

Hi Rachel, I have no idea what the term means and would have to google like you. You could try the helpline peeps to stop the gap until you see the GP. I would raise the inaccuracies with him though - as they can be stored on the system along with the letter ... and see what he says ...

Sorry not much help.

Speedy

dreamdaisy

I lost track of all the terms that were used to describe my symptoms but I do remember the first: 'pigmented villo-nodular synovitis' but they weren't happy with that as I didn't have the pigmented bit! After nine years they settled on psoriatic arthritis, but there are many forms of inflammatory conditions - the underlying cause is the more important factor perhaps. There is a genetic link to my circumstances but I am the first one in the family to develop the arthritis side of things. It is a confusing condition to identify. DD

rachelj

Well I think my greatest concern was that after packing me out the door he had thought of something else it might be without me having had a chance to ask qu's. From the responses so far it sounds like its of the same ilk, one website did say that they used the term arthritis for some types of arthritis and arthropathy for others. I shall sit tight for now, I am off for my bone scan tomorrow so will be back on his doorstep in a few weeks, muhahahaha!

tillytop

Bumped up for Traluvie...

Tillyxxx

traluvie

Thanks Tilly

xxxxxx