Can rheumatoid arthritis affect other parts of the body besides the joints?
Although the primary symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is joint pain and reduced mobility, the dysfunction of the immune system that causes it to attack the joints is not joint-specific—it can cause the immune cells to attack other tissues as well. The other organs most commonly affected are the skin, the lungs, and the blood vessels, but occasionally the heart, brain, and even the cells of the immune system can be affected, causing additional medical problems. However, it is rare to suffer from significant non-joint-related symptoms. The most common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis outside of the joints is the presence of what are called rheumatoid nodules. These are small lumps of soft tissue that can be felt beneath the skin, most commonly over the elbows. Rheumatoid nodules occur in about 20% of people with rheumatoid arthritis and can occur anywhere. Skin changes Skin changes may also occur in rheumatoid arthritis because of blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis). Skin changes may in
