Hand Arthropathy

CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS MANUAL

Hand arthropathy encompasses various diseases affecting the joints of the hands, presenting with a range of symptoms and clinical signs depending on the underlying pathology.

Here is a brief explanation of each symptom and clinical sign, the suggested complementary tests, and the common pathologies that can cause this condition:

Pathology	Diagnosis of Suspicion	Diagnosis of Confirmation
Postmenopausal Osteoarthritis	Pain and stiffness in the hand joints, nodules in distal and interphalangeal joints	Hand X-rays showing joint space narrowing, osteophytes, and joint subluxation
Rheumatoid Arthritis	Symmetrical joint pain, prolonged morning stiffness, joint swelling	Positive rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP, X-ray findings of erosions and periarticular osteopenia
Psoriatic Arthropathy	Joint pain with a history of psoriasis or characteristic skin lesions, often with an asymmetrical pattern of involvement	X-rays showing joint inflammation, sometimes with “pencil-in-cup” deformities or erosions, dermatologist-confirmed psoriasis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus	Joint pain, malar rash, photosensitivity, other systemic symptoms	Positive ANA, other clinical and serological ACR criteria for lupus, absence of significant erosions on X-rays