COEXISTENCE OF OCHRONOSIS AND RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

We describe a 64-year-old female patient with ochronosis and rheumatoi d arthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal column disclosed the destruction of vertebral disks, and a bony bridging in Th12 to L2 . In addition, we observed joint space narrowing in the wrists as well as among the carpal bones, positive rheumatoid factor and the presenc e of rheumatoid nodules, in which the histological findings were compa tible with those of rheumatoid arthritis. The co-existence of these tw o diseases has not yet been previously reported. Pre-existing ochronot ic arthropathy might have masked the manifestation of rheumatoid arthr itis and made the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis rather difficult.