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CHIEF COMPLAINT: Swelling of lips causing difficulty swallowing.

HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: This patient is a 57-year old white Cuban woman with a long history of rheumatoid arthritis. She has received methotrexate on a weekly basis as an outpatient for many years. Approximately two weeks ago, she developed a respiratory infection for which she received antibiotics. She developed some ulcerations of the mouth and was instructed to discontinue the methotrexate approximately ten days ago. She showed some initial improvement, but over the last 3-5 days has had malaise, a low-grade fever, and severe oral ulcerations with difficulty in swallowing although she can drink liquids with less difficulty.

The patient denies any other problems at this point except for a flare of arthritis since discontinuing the methotrexate. She has rather diffuse pain involving both large and small joints.

MEDICATIONS: Prednisone 7.5 mg p.o. q.d., Premarin 0.125 mg p.o. q.d., and Dolobid 1000 mg p.o. q.d., recently discontinued because of questionable allergic reaction. HCTZ 25 mg p.o. q.o.d., Oral calcium supplements. In the past she has been on penicillin, azathioprine, and hydroxychloroquine, but she has not had Azulfidine, cyclophosphamide, or chlorambucil.

ALLERGIES: None by history.

FAMILY/SOCIAL HISTORY: Noncontributory.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: This is a chronically ill appearing female, alert, oriented, and cooperative. She moves with great difficulty because of fatigue and malaise. Vital signs: Blood pressure 107/80, heart rate: 100 and regular, respirations 22. HEENT: Normocephalic. No scalp lesions. Dry eyes with conjuctival injections. Mild exophthalmos. Dry nasal mucosa. Marked cracking and bleeding of her lips with erosion of the mucosa. She has a large ulceration of the mucosa at the bite margin on the left. She has some scattered ulcerations on her hard and soft palette. Tonsils not enlarged. No visible exudate. She has difficulty opening her mouth because of pain. SKIN: She has some mild ecchymoses on her skin and some erythema; she has patches but no obvious skin breakdown. She has some fissuring in the buttocks crease. PULMONARY: Clear to percussion in auscultation. CARDIOVASCULAR: No murmurs or gallops noted. ABDOMEN: Protuberant no organomegaly and positive bowel sounds. NEUROLOGIC EXAM: Cranial nerves II through XII are grossly intact. Diffuse hyporeflexia. MUSCULOSKELATAL: Erosive, destructive changes in the elbows, wrist and hands consistent with rheumatoid arthritis. She also has bilateral total knee replacements with stovepipe legs and parimalleolar pitting adema 1+. I feel no pulse distally in either leg.

PROBLEMS:
1. Swelling of lips and dysphagia with questionable early Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis class 3, stage 4.
3. Flare of arthritis after discontinuing methotrexate.
4. Osteoporosis with compression fracture.
5. Mild dehydration.
6. Nephrolithiasis.

PLAN: Patient is admitted for IV hydration and treatment of oral ulcerations. We will obtain a dermatology consult. IV leucovorin will be started, and the patient will be put on high-dose corticosteroids.

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