ABSTRACT

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease of undetermined etiology involving the synovial membranes and articular structures of multiple joints and is also associated with carditis, pleuritis, hepatitis, peripheral neuropathy and vasculitis. The present study was undertaken to investigate arterial stiffness using carotid-radial and femoral-dorsalis pedis pulse wave velocity measurements and electrophysiological tests for peripheral nervous system involvement. 25 patients (aged between 20-60 years) with rheumatoid arthritis according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and 25 control subjects of the same age and sex were recruited. In the motor conduction studies, out of 25 patients of Rheumatoid arthritis, 6 had clinical evidence of peripheral neuropathy. 11 patients showed pure sensory neuropathy (44%), 10 showed mixed sensory motor neuropathy (40%) while 4 showed normal motor and sensory conduction velocity. Two patients (8%) showed features of entrapment neuropathy of median nerve i.e. feature of Carpal tunnel syndrome. In the pulse wave velocity evaluation statistically significant increase in pulse wave velocity between femoral-dorsalis pedis and carotid-radial artery segments was observed in Rheumatoid arthritis patients as compared to the control group. Measurement of carotid-radial and femoral-dorsalis pedis PWV may provide a simple and non-invasive technique for identifying patients at increased risk of vascular disease in Rheumatoid arthritis.

KEY WORDS: Peripheral neuropathy; Nerve conduction; Vascular events