🧵 Thread: Ultrasound in Arthritis — A Rheumatologist’s Tool:
Tweet 1
🖤🤍In Rheumatology, USG is becoming an extension of clinical exam.
Let’s decode why and how we use it in arthritis 👇
@IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr @Janetbirdope @Lupusreference #MedTwitter #Rheumatology
Tweet 3
✨ Advantages of USG in Rheumatology: 1. Bedside, no radiation 2. Dynamic — see movement 3. Guides aspiration & injections 4. Detects subclinical synovitis (before X-ray/clinical exam)
Tweet 4
📌 Key uses in Arthritis:
•Diagnosis of early RA
•Assessing disease activity
•Differentiating synovitis vs effusion
•Monitoring treatment response
Tweet 6 (Final)
✅ Take-home:
Ultrasound = stethoscope of modern rheumatology.
It bridges the gap between exam & imaging, helping us treat arthritis earlier & better.
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A common enzyme test, but often overlooked.
LDH is a tissue damage marker with key roles in autoimmune disease.
Let’s decode its value 👇 1/ 🔬 What is LDH?
•Enzyme in glycolysis (pyruvate ↔ lactate)
•Present in almost every tissue
•Released with cell damage → hence very non-specific
#Rheumatology #MedTwitter #Myositis @IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr
2/ 📊 Clinical contexts in Rheumatology:
•Myositis (esp. when CK is normal)
•MAS/HLH → marker of hyperinflammation
•Interstitial lung disease (ILD in DM/MCTD/SSC)
•Hemolysis (esp. autoimmune hemolytic anemia)
3/ 💡 Why is LDH important in Myositis?
•CK is most sensitive, but some subtypes (e.g. anti-MDA5 DM, amyopathic DM) may have normal CK
•LDH, AST, ALT, aldolase help detect occult muscle injury
One of the most debated biomarkers.
Ordered often, misinterpreted even more.
Let’s clear the confusion 👇
#Rheumatology #Sarcoidosis #Biomarkers @IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr
1/ 🔬 Serum ACE is produced by epithelioid cells in granulomas.
Hence, levels may be elevated in granulomatous diseases — especially sarcoidosis.
2/ 📊 When is ACE useful?
•Supporting diagnosis of sarcoidosis (not diagnostic alone)
•Monitoring disease activity (trend > absolute value)
•May fall with treatment response
A lab we all order. A deficiency we often find.
But what does it really mean in autoimmune disease?
Let’s clear the confusion 👇
#Rheumatology #VitaminD
@IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr
1/ 💡 Vitamin D is not just about bones.
It’s an immunomodulator: affects T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells.
Deficiency is linked to ↑ autoimmunity risk (RA, SLE, MS, etc.).
2/ 🔍 Testing:
•Serum 25(OH)D is the correct test (not 1,25(OH)₂D).
•Deficiency: <20 ng/mL
•Insufficiency: 20–30 ng/mL
•Sufficiency: >30 ng/mL
Tweet 1:
Serum uric acid — one of the most over-ordered and misinterpreted tests in medicine.
Here’s how to understand it in rheumatology 👇
@IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr #MedTwitter #Rheumatology
Tweet 2 (Basics):
•Uric acid = end product of purine metabolism
•Normal range: ~3.5–7 mg/dL (varies by lab/sex)
•Excreted mainly by kidneys (~70%) + gut (~30%)
Tweet 3 (Hyperuricemia ≠ Gout):
•Many people with high uric acid never develop gout
•Risk rises as uric acid >9 mg/dL
•Gout diagnosis = clinical + crystals, not just lab value
🧵 Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies (aPL) in Rheumatology:
Tweet 1:
Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies — a small blood test with big consequences.
From clots to pregnancy complications, they guide APS diagnosis and management.
Here’s what every clinician should know 👇@IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr #MedTwitter #Rheumatology
Tweet 2 (What are aPL?):
•Autoantibodies against phospholipid-binding proteins
•Main types tested:
• Lupus anticoagulant (LA)
• Anticardiolipin (aCL) IgG/IgM
• Anti-β2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) IgG/IgM
Tweet 1:
ANCA — one antibody, many confusions.
From GPA to drug-induced vasculitis, it’s powerful when used right…
and misleading when used wrong.
Here’s a quick guide 👇
@IhabFathiSulima @DrAkhilX @CelestinoGutirr #MedTwitter #Rheumatology