Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

What condition is suggested by the presence of Heberden's nodes in a 65-year-old patient?

1. Osteoporosis

2. Rheumatoid arthritis

3. Degenerative joint disease

4. Reiter's syndrome

The correct answer is: Degenerative joint disease

Heberden's nodes are bony swellings that form at the distal interphalangeal joints of the fingers, typically associated with osteoarthritis. The presence of these nodes in a 65-year-old patient strongly suggests degenerative joint disease, which is characterized by the wear and tear of cartilage in the joints over time. As people age, the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis increases, and Heberden's nodes serve as a visible manifestation of this degenerative process. They indicate changes in the joint structure due to the underlying condition, aligning with the characteristics of osteoarthritis rather than the inflammatory processes seen in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, or Reiter's syndrome. Osteoporosis primarily affects bone density and does not typically lead to the formation of nodes, while rheumatoid arthritis and Reiter's syndrome involve systemic inflammatory processes rather than the localized bony changes seen in degenerative joint disease.