Haemophilic arthropathy

Changed by Henry Knipe, 3 Mar 2024
Disclosures - updated 16 Jan 2024:
  • Integral Diagnostics, Shareholder (ongoing)
  • Micro-X Ltd, Shareholder (ongoing)

Updates to Article Attributes

Body was changed:

Haemophilic arthropathy refers to permanent joint disease occurring in haemophilia sufferers as a long-term consequence of repeated haemarthrosis.

Epidemiology

Around 50% of patients with haemophilia will develop severe arthropathy.

Clinical presentation

Presents similarly to osteoarthritis, with chronic joint pain, reduced range of motion and function, and reduced quality of life.

Pathology

Haemophilia is an X-linked recessive disease affecting mainly males. Haemarthroses Haemarthroses may be spontaneous or result from minor trauma and typically first occurs before the age of two and continues to occur into adolescence. It is usual for the same joint to be repeatedly involved. In In adulthood, haemarthroses are uncommon. However, proliferative chronically-inflamed inflamed synovium results in the development of haemophilic arthropathy.Repeated haemarthroses result in the intra-articular deposition of iron, which leads to the proliferation of the synovium, neoangiogenesis, and ultimately damage to both the articular cartilage and subchondral bone 8.

Haemophilic arthropathy is characterised by synovial hyperplasia, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and haemosiderosis. The synovium mass erodes cartilage and subchondral bone leading to subarticular cyst formation 3.

Location

Haemophilic arthropathy is often monoarticular or oligoarticular. Large Large joints are most commonly involved in the following order of frequency 2:

  • knee

  • elbow

  • ankle

  • hip

  • shoulder

Classification

There are several imaging-based classification systems 9:

Radiographic features

Plain radiograph
  • joint effusion is is seen in the setting of haemarthrosis

  • periarticular osteoporosis: from hyperaemia

  • epiphyseal enlargement with associated gracile diaphysis: from hyperaemia (appearances can be similar to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and and paralysis)

  • secondary degenerative disease: symmetrical symmetrical loss of joint cartilage involving all compartments equally with periarticular erosions and subchondral cysts, osteophytes and sclerosis

  • knee 3

  • elbow 2

    • enlarged radial head

    • widened trochlear notch

  • ankle 1

    • talar tilt: relative undergrowth of the lateral side of the tibial epiphysis leads to a pronated foot

MRI
  • good for detection of early disease

  • thickened synovium with low signal due to haemosiderin susceptibility effect: siderotic synovitis

  • enhancing synovium due to synovitis

  • joint effusion

  • cartilage loss and erosions can be well seen

Nuclear medicine
  • bone scintigraphy

    • sensitive for detecting areas of disease over the entire skeleton

    • follow-up scans can monitor treatment response

  • radiosynoviorthesis

    • radioisotopes can be injected therapeutically into a joint to decrease bleeding and synovitis

    • rhenium186 is emerging as the preferred isotope over phosphorus32 and yttrium90 particularly in medium-sized joints 5

Treatment and prognosis

Early factor VIII or IX replacement may prevent or delay joint destruction. Radiosynoviorthesis has been shown to be effective in reducing bleeding and effusion in selected cases. Surgical arthrodesis 6 or joint replacement 7 can be an effective treatment for the end-stage disease.

Differential diagnosis

Practical points

  • mono- or oligoarticular involving large joints

  • joint effusion: may show fluid-fluid levels related to the blood products

  • chronic haemarthroses and hyperaemia leading to growth deformities (e.g. epiphyseal enlargement, widened intercondylar notch of the knee)

  • chronic periarticular erosions and subchondral cysts

  • -<p><strong>Haemophilic arthropathy</strong> refers to permanent joint disease occurring in <a href="/articles/haemophilia">haemophilia</a> sufferers as a long-term consequence of repeated <a href="/articles/haemarthrosis" title="Haemarthrosis">haemarthrosis</a>. </p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Around 50% of patients with haemophilia will develop severe arthropathy.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Presents similarly to <a href="/articles/osteoarthritis">osteoarthritis</a>, with chronic joint pain, reduced range of motion and function, and reduced quality of life.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Haemophilia is an X-linked recessive disease affecting mainly males. Haemarthroses may be spontaneous or result from minor trauma and typically first occurs before the age of two and continues to occur into adolescence. It is usual for the same joint to be repeatedly involved. In adulthood, haemarthroses are uncommon. However, proliferative chronically-inflamed synovium results in the development of haemophilic arthropathy.<br><br>Repeated haemarthroses result in the intra-articular deposition of iron, which leads to the proliferation of the synovium, neoangiogenesis, and ultimately damage to both the articular cartilage and subchondral bone <sup>8</sup>.</p><p>Haemophilic arthropathy is characterised by synovial hyperplasia, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and <a href="/articles/haemosiderosis">haemosiderosis</a>. The synovium mass erodes cartilage and subchondral bone leading to subarticular cyst formation <sup>3</sup>.</p><h5>Location</h5><p>Haemophilic arthropathy is often monoarticular or oligoarticular. Large joints are most commonly involved in the following order of frequency <sup>2</sup>:</p><ul>
  • +<p><strong>Haemophilic arthropathy</strong> refers to permanent joint disease occurring in <a href="/articles/haemophilia">haemophilia</a> sufferers as a long-term consequence of repeated <a href="/articles/haemarthrosis" title="Haemarthrosis">haemarthrosis</a>.&nbsp;</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Around 50% of patients with haemophilia will develop severe arthropathy.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Presents similarly to <a href="/articles/osteoarthritis">osteoarthritis</a>, with chronic joint pain, reduced range of motion and function, and reduced quality of life.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Haemophilia is an X-linked recessive disease affecting mainly males.&nbsp;Haemarthroses may be spontaneous or result from minor trauma and typically first occurs before the age of two and continues to occur into adolescence. It is usual for the same joint to be repeatedly involved.&nbsp;In adulthood, haemarthroses are uncommon. However, proliferative chronically inflamed synovium results in the development of haemophilic arthropathy.<br><br>Repeated haemarthroses result in the intra-articular deposition of iron, which leads to the proliferation of the synovium, neoangiogenesis, and ultimately damage to both the articular cartilage and subchondral bone <sup>8</sup>.</p><p>Haemophilic arthropathy is characterised by synovial hyperplasia, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and <a href="/articles/haemosiderosis">haemosiderosis</a>. The synovium mass erodes cartilage and subchondral bone leading to subarticular cyst formation <sup>3</sup>.</p><h5>Location</h5><p>Haemophilic arthropathy is often monoarticular or oligoarticular.&nbsp;Large joints are most commonly involved in the following order of frequency <sup>2</sup>:</p><ul>
  • +</ul><h4>Classification</h4><p>There are several imaging-based classification systems <sup>9</sup>:</p><ul>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/arnold-hilgartner-classification-of-haemophilic-arthropathy">Arnold-Hilgartner classification</a>: knee radiographs <sup>4,9</sup></p></li>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/pettersson-score" title="Pettersson score">Pettersson score</a>: elbows, knees, and ankles radiographs; recommended by World Federation of Haemophilia <sup>9</sup></p></li>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/ipsg-mri-scale" title="IPSG MRI scale">IPSG MRI scale</a> <sup>10</sup></p></li>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/haemophilia-early-arthropathy-detection-with-ultrasound-head-us" title="haemophilia early arthropathy detection with ultrasound (HEAD-US)">haemophilia early arthropathy detection with ultrasound (HEAD-US)</a> <sup>11</sup></p></li>
  • -<li><p><a href="/articles/joint-effusion">joint effusion</a> is seen in the setting of haemarthrosis</p></li>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/joint-effusion">joint effusion</a>&nbsp;is seen in the setting of haemarthrosis</p></li>
  • -<li><p>epiphyseal enlargement with associated gracile diaphysis: from hyperaemia (appearances can be similar to <a href="/articles/juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis">juvenile rheumatoid arthritis</a> and paralysis)</p></li>
  • -<li><p>secondary degenerative disease: symmetrical loss of joint cartilage involving all compartments equally with periarticular erosions and subchondral cysts, osteophytes and sclerosis</p></li>
  • +<li><p>epiphyseal enlargement with associated gracile diaphysis: from hyperaemia (appearances can be similar to <a href="/articles/juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis">juvenile rheumatoid arthritis</a>&nbsp;and paralysis)</p></li>
  • +<li><p>secondary degenerative disease:&nbsp;symmetrical loss of joint cartilage involving all compartments equally with periarticular erosions and subchondral cysts, osteophytes and sclerosis</p></li>
  • -<li><p>changes can be classified through the <a href="/articles/arnold-hilgartner-classification-of-haemophilic-arthropathy">Arnold-Hilgartner classification</a> <sup>4</sup></p></li>
  • -<li><p><a href="/articles/juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis">juvenile rheumatoid arthritis</a> (plain radiograph)</p></li>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/juvenile-rheumatoid-arthritis">juvenile rheumatoid arthritis</a>&nbsp;(plain radiograph)</p></li>
  • -<li><p><a href="/articles/primary-synovial-chondromatosis">synovial osteochondromatosis</a> (MRI)</p></li>
  • +<li><p><a href="/articles/primary-synovial-chondromatosis">synovial osteochondromatosis</a>&nbsp;(MRI)</p></li>

References changed:

  • 9. Wyseure T, Mosnier L, von Drygalski A. Advances and Challenges in Hemophilic Arthropathy. Semin Hematol. 2016;53(1):10-9. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1053/j.seminhematol.2015.10.005">doi:10.1053/j.seminhematol.2015.10.005</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26805902">Pubmed</a>
  • 10. Tolend M, Majeed H, Soliman M et al. Critical Appraisal of the International Prophylaxis Study Group Magnetic Resonance Image Scale for Evaluating Haemophilic Arthropathy. Haemophilia. 2020;26(4):565-74. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.14032">doi:10.1111/hae.14032</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32497355">Pubmed</a>
  • 11. Måseide R, Berntorp E, Astermark J et al. Haemophilia Early Arthropathy Detection with Ultrasound and Haemophilia Joint Health Score in the Moderate Haemophilia (MoHem) Study. Haemophilia. 2021;27(2):e253-9. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/hae.14245">doi:10.1111/hae.14245</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33550602">Pubmed</a>

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