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Felty's syndrome

Other Names for this Disease
  • Familial Felty's syndrome
  • Felty syndrome
  • Rheumatoid arthritis, splenomegaly and neutropenia
More Names
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Overview


Felty's syndrome is a rare, potentially serious disorder that is defined by the presence of three conditions: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) and a decreased white blood cell count (neutropenia), which causes repeated infections.[1] Although some individuals with Felty's syndrome are asymptomatic, others can develop serious and life-threatening infections.[2] Symptoms of Felty's syndrome, in addition to those associated with the three conditions stated above, may include fatigue, fever, weight loss, discoloration of patches of skin,[1] mild hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), lymphadenopathy (swelling of lymph nodes), Sjögren syndrome, vasculitis, lower-extremity ulcers, and other findings.[2] The exact cause is unknown, but several risk factors have been proposed, including autoimmunity.[1][2] A few familial cases of the condition have been reported.[3] Treatment typically focuses on controlling the underlying RA; immunosuppressive therapy for RA may improve neutropenia and splenomegaly.[2]


References

  1. Felty Syndrome. NORD. http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdbdetail_abstract.html?disname=Felty%20Syndrome. Accessed January 6, 2011.
  2. Richard M Keating. Felty syndrome. eMedicine. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/329734-overview. Accessed January 6, 2011.
  3. Runge LA, Davey FR, Goldberg J, Boyd PR. The inheritance of Felty's syndrome in a family with several affected members. Journal of Rheumatology. February 1986. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3701742. Accessed January 6, 2011.
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General Information

  • MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.  Access to this database is free of charge.  Click on the link to read information on this topic.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Felty's syndrome. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
  • The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Felty's syndrome. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.