Occurrence of Rheumatic-like Subcutaneous Nodules without Evidence of Joint or Heart Disease

Abstract

SUBCUTANEOUS nodules have long been known to occur in rheumatic fever and in rheumatoid arthritis. In both diseases their presence has been considered an indication of severity.^{1 2 3} It was with interest, therefore, that we observed, eight years ago, a child with subcutaneous nodules who, far from having a particularly severe form of rheumatic fever or rheumatoid arthritis, had no other signs of either disease. In the ensuing years two reports called the attention of American pathologists to similar cases,^{4 , 5} but even now few clinicians are aware that lesions indistinguishable from rheumatic or rheumatoid nodules can occur in otherwise healthy subjects. . . .