Lab Med Online.  2015 Jul;5(3):161-164. 10.3343/lmo.2015.5.3.161.

Atypical Wegener's Granulomatosis Accompanied with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. tykim@hanyang.ac.kr

Abstract

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is highly correlated with cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (c-ANCA). Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rarely contract WG. Although several concurrent cases have been reported overseas, there are no known cases in Korea. Here we report a unique case of RA with atypical WG testing positive for perinuclear ANCA (p-ANCA) and negative for anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibodies. The 62-yr-old female patient presented with multiple joint pain and showed typical blood test results for RA, i.e., an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein concentration, and positive for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies. RA was clear based on a total score of 10 when applying the classification criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (2010). In an autoimmune target test, speckled and skeleton patterns were observed. In an ANCA test, p-ANCA was observed (titer, 1:2,560), and tests for anti-proteinase 3 (PR3) and anti-MPO antibodies were negative. After admission, multiple nodules were detected on a chest X-ray and a computed tomography scan. We suspected that she had rheumatic nodules or vasculitis and performed an open lung biopsy. We detected necrotic granulomatous vasculitis, classified as WG, thus leading to WG diagnosis. In conclusion, WG was diagnosed in an RA patient who was negative for c-ANCA (negative PR3) and positive for p-ANCA (negative anti-MPO), and this peculiar finding is likely to improve diagnosis in cases of RA with atypical WG.

Keyword

Rheumatoid arthritis; Wegener's granulomatosis; Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies

MeSH Terms

Antibodies
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
Arthralgia
Arthritis, Rheumatoid*
Biopsy
Blood Sedimentation
C-Reactive Protein
Classification
Cytoplasm
Diagnosis
Female
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Korea
Lung
Rheumatic Diseases
Rheumatic Nodule
Rheumatoid Factor
Skeleton
Thorax
Vasculitis
Wegener Granulomatosis*
Antibodies
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
C-Reactive Protein
Rheumatoid Factor

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