rheumatism (ru'mat-ism)

A term formerly^ used to designate practically all pain in the joints and muscles not due to trauma or gout; a general term for the forms of disease mentioned in the sub-headings. acute articular r. Rheumatic fever; an acute infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the fibrous structures about one or more of the joints, usually a part of a general septicemia. An acute infectious arthritis. articular r. Acute or chronicr. affecting one or more joints, bannorrhagic r. See gonorrheal r. chronic articular r. See chronic osteoarthritis, under osteo-arthritis. gonorrheal r. An acute arthritis due to infection with the gonococcus. gouty r. See rheumatoid arthritis, under arthritis. Heberden's r. See Heberden. inflammatory r. See acute articular r. muscular r. A painful affection of the voluntary muscles and of the fasciae and periosteum to which they are attached. It has received special names according to the region affected, such as lumbago, pleurodynia, etc. nodose r., nodular r. See rheumatoid arthritis, under arthritis, r. of the heart. The infection of the heart occurring in the course of an acute arthritis. It is the most frequent cause of valvular disease, visceral r. aR. flux.] that involves the viscera. [Gr., reuma, rheumatoid rheumatism. (ru'mat-oid). Resembling rhexis (reks'is). A rupture of any organ, ve el, or ti ue. [Gr., rex is, rupture.]