Question
I am a 44 yr old male, constant right side lower back pain and has a hard nodule over right knee cap, size is about the size of a pea. I am HLA B27 positive. HIV negative. Other sympoms.. blurry vision and itchy/prickly skin.. doc seems to think it might be neuropathy, so he has me on Neurotin. Knee/ankle reflexes seem fine. ESR was low.1 but I understand the test has to be peromed in the first hour of taking the test, my labs were sent out, so not sure how accurate they are. CBC was normal, have not had the RA test. Can RA nodules form over the knee cap?
Answer
Rheumatoid nodules can form anywhere and areas around joints are frequent locations. However, you do not sound like you have RA. See our section on RA. Most RA patients have painful, swollen joints, particularly both hands, wrists and feet. RA never affects the lumbar spine. Nodules can be part of ankylosing spondylitis or other spondyloarthropathies.
