Rheumatology, Vol 38, 627-630, Copyright © 1999 by British Society for Rheumatology
S Ertan, I Fresko, H Apaydin, S Ozekmekci and H Yazici
OBJECTIVES: We had noted cogwheel rigidity in a number of patients with
rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Based on this finding, we aimed to investigate
formally the presence of rigidity and cogwheeling in RA patients. Our
secondary aim was to survey the co-existence of RA and Parkinson's disease
(PD). METHODS: A total of 87 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of RA,
78 patients with PD and 67 otherwise healthy patients attending a dedicated
headache clinic participated in the study. RESULTS: Rigidity was observed
in 24% of RA, 60% of PD and 2% of headache patients. The frequency among
the RA patients was significantly higher compared to that of patients with
headache (chi 2 = 15.2; P = 0.00009). The frequency of PD among the RA
patients was 2/87 (2.3%), while the frequency of RA among the PD patients
was 6/78 (7.7%). CONCLUSION: Rigidity can be observed in approximately a
quarter of patients with RA.
ORIGINAL PAPERS
Extrapyramidal type rigidity in rheumatoid arthritis
Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, University of Istanbul, Turkey.
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