Elbow Nodule & tenderness

[Zoesquare1]

Dear friends,

Good morning to the UK from the states.

Seeking some input this am:

I've developed a marble-sized nodule on the extensor surface of my elbow. It is a soft tissue lump, but hard and fixed. I also have some tenderness in that elbow now.

I'm a little concerned bc the lump seems to meet diagnostic criteria for a rheumatoid arthritis nodule. I was "only" diagnosed w PMR in Nov and am on 12 mgs pred right now w minimal PMR pain. I've had curious lung symptoms for ~a year before my PMR diagnosis last Nov (my lungs almost always feel like they're burning just a tad - sometimes worse than others) -- the rhuemy calls it "pleurisy". The lung symptoms seem to worsen when the malaise and wrist burning and general achiness increase - what Ihave thought were minor PMR flares.

I was rheumatoid factor RF negative in November, however at that time my RF had more that doubled since the baseline test 6 mos prior. Have not had it tested since Nov.

My questions are:

Has anyone progressed from PMR to rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?

And:

Does anyone know stats for PMR diagnosis leading to RA diagnosis?

Urgh....

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

It is possible to have rheumatoid arthritis even with a negative RF. In fact being diagnosed with PMR doesn't, unfortunately, exclude us from contracting other auto-immune conditions.

Although not speaking from personal experience with RA, I have come across patients in the past who have been diagnosed with PMR only to have their diagnosis later changed to that of LORA (late onset rheumatoid arthritis), often when they either fail to successfully reduce their steroid dose or don't receive a good response to their Pred treatment. Such patients are often switched to a DMARD (Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug) such as Methotrexate.

Has your rheumy investigated the problem with your lungs other than just to call it pleurisy? If not, then it would be reassuring if he did, I would have thought, just to rule out any other inflammatory auto-immune condition going on. Meanwhile, seek his opinion about the nodule, too.

I'm sorry I can't be more help, but I wonder if you will find more answers on the HealthUnlocked rheumatoid arthritis forum.

[olive2709]

I would say the same as celtic go to RA page I use it because my daughter has RA the folks on there are great at helping and have a great deal of knowledge

[Zoesquare1]

Thanks Celtic and Olive. I will do that. Not feeling great about the prospect of DMARDs instead of pred.... pred is bad but I think Methotrexate is worse...