A 52-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 4-month history of progressive pain and stiffness of the fingers of her right hand that is worse at the end of the day. She works as a hairdresser and has to take frequent breaks to rest her hand. Over the past 2 weeks, she has been taking ibuprofen as needed for the joint pain . She drinks one to two beers daily and occasionally more on weekends. Her vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows firm nodules over the distal interphalangeal joints bilaterally as shown in the image below. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

Question

A 52-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 4-month history of progressive pain and stiffness of the fingers of her right hand that is worse at the end of the day. She works as a hairdresser and has to take frequent breaks to rest her hand. Over the past 2 weeks, she has been taking ibuprofen as needed for the joint pain . She drinks one to two beers daily and occasionally more on weekends. Her vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows firm nodules over the distal interphalangeal joints bilaterally as shown in the image below.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Osteoarthritis of the hands is characterized by osteophyte formation leading to hard bony enlargement of the distal interphalangeal joints (Heberden nodes) and proximal interphalangeal joints (Bouchard nodes).  Brief morning stiffness may be present.

A 52-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Physician Because of a 4-Month