- Osler's node
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Osler's nodes are painful, red, raised lesions found on the hands and feet. They are associated with a number of conditions, including infective endocarditis, and are caused by immune complex deposition. They are named after Sir William Osler who described them in the early 20th century.[1][2] Their presence is one definition of Osler's sign.[3]
Causes
Osler's nodes result from the deposition of immune complexes.[citation needed] The resulting inflammatory response leads to swelling, redness, and pain that characterize these lesions.
The nodes are commonly indicative of subacute bacterial endocarditis.[4] 10–25% of endocarditis patients will have Osler's nodes.[citation needed] Other signs of endocarditis include Roth's spots and Janeway lesions. The latter, which also occur on the palms and soles, can be differentiated from Osler's nodes because they are nontender.[5]
It can also be seen in
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- marantic endocarditis
- disseminated gonococcal infection
- distal to infected arterial catheter
External links
References
- ^ synd/1702 at Who Named It?
- ^ W. Osler. Chronic infectious endocarditis. Quarterly Journal of Medicine, Oxford, 1908-1909, 2: 219-230.
- ^ "Osler sign" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ "Osler nodes" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ Farrior JB, Silverman ME (August 1976). "A consideration of the differences between a Janeway's lesion and an Osler's node in infectious endocarditis". Chest 70 (2): 239–43. doi:10.1378/chest.70.2.239. PMID 947688. http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=947688.
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