Erosive hand osteoarthritis — SCE Rheumatology MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

ModerateOsteoarthritis and Soft Tissue RheumatologyErosive hand osteoarthritisSCE Rheumatology

A 62-year-old woman has painful DIP and PIP joints with central erosions, gull-wing appearances and osteophytes; RF and anti-CCP are negative. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B — Erosive hand osteoarthritis

Erosive hand osteoarthritis is the single best answer because central erosions with gull-wing changes suggest erosive hand osteoarthritis. The stem is testing diagnostic synthesis, not isolated recall, so the relevant clinical pattern and risk context determine the answer. Rheumatoid arthritis is less suitable because it fits a different clinical pattern or a different treatment threshold; Systemic lupus erythematosus, Psoriatic arthritis and Gout do not address the key discriminator in this vignette. Clinical pearl: in SCE-style rheumatology questions, autoantibodies, imaging and synovial fluid findings should be interpreted with the whole phenotype.

Reference: NICE NG226; NICE CKS soft tissue rheumatology