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Rheumatology, the concept of which is traced back to the school of Hippocrates, (from the Greek ῥεῦμα " rhèuma" , "creep") studies pathologies related to "bad humors," which, accumulating pathologically, can later result in an inflammatory process. This branch is part of internal medicine and deals with conditions of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues of the body.
In addition, rheumatic diseases can also involve the internal organs (e.g., heart, brain, lungs etc.), vessels and nerves.
After diseases of the cardiovascular system, rheumatic diseases represent the second largest class of diseases. And it is also second (after cardiovascular diseases) as a cause of disability because of the serious consequences it brings to the functional independence of patients.
There are different types of rheumatic diseases that differ in origin, clinical picture, diagnostic methods and treatments to be followed.
In a first group we can put: rheumatoid arthritis (chronic inflammation) reactive arthritis and psoriatic arthritis (seronegative spondylo-extritis-arthritis.
In a second group we include: polymyalgia rheumatica, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (connectivitis), scleroderma, and polyserositis.
The third group includes gout and chondrocalcinosis so-called metabolic arthropathies.
Of the fourth group are degenerative osteoarthropathies such as Paget's disease, osteoporosis, and osteomalacia.
Finally, in the fifth and last group are tenosynovitis, fasciitis, periarthritis and rheumatic fibromyalgia (extra-articular rheumatism).
Undoubtedly, early diagnosis and, above all, the evolution of diagnostic tools by which knowledge of the disease can be refined and optimized, are in not a few cases the solution, for the physician, to halt the progression of the disease.
Experience and studies have led practitioners to the possibility of using antirheumatic and immunosuppressive drugs appropriately and wisely enough to improve the quality of rheumatology patients, even those affected by the most aggressive diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma)
Regrettably, rheumatologic diseases can affect people of all ages (thus including children).
