Palindromic rheumatism

Palindromic rheumatism produces sudden, short-lived episodes of joint inflammation that resolve completely between attacks, and research links the condition to the same autoantibodies seen in rheumatoid arthritis, including rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies, thought to provoke joint inflammation during flares.

A population-based study from South Korea estimated the incidence at roughly 7 per 100,000 person-years, occurring at similar rates in men and women, with onset typically in a person's late forties. Research describes it as more common than once believed, and it sits on a spectrum with rheumatoid arthritis. Studies following people over time have found that a meaningful share, in some cohorts around two-thirds, eventually develop chronic arthritis, most often rheumatoid arthritis, while others experience only the episodic pattern for years.

Common signs

Sudden episodes of pain, swelling, and warmth in one or a few joints, often the hands, wrists, or knees, lasting hours to days and then clearing completely. The attacks can recur unpredictably, with symptom-free stretches in between.

This is a plain-language summary for orientation, not a diagnosis. Mechanisms are described as current understanding, not settled fact. Work with your own clinician for your care.