RHEUMATOID VASCULITIS IN A PATIENT WITH SERONEGATIVE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

We report on a 47-year-old woman with a 10-year history of seronegativ e rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had experienced an episode of bilatera l aseptic pleuritis, and in whom livedo reticularis and ulcers had dev eloped on both lower extremities, Histological examination revealed rh eumatoid vasculitis. In rheumatoid vasculitis, high titers of rheumato id factors are commonly observed. In our case, however, there have bee n no characteristic laboratory findings throughout the course of the d isease so far, despite the active RA. This report describes a rare cas e of seronegative RA with systemic rheumatoid vasculitis.