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1. Obsolete term for rheumatic fever. 2. Indefinite term applied to various conditions with pain or other symptoms of articular origin or related to other elements of the musculoskeletal system. [G. rheumatismos, rheuma, a flux]

- articular r. SYN: arthritis.

- cerebral r. central nervous system symptoms resulting from a rheumatic disease. Formerly seen primarily as a manifestation of rheumatic fever, now seen less frequently as a part of other diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. SEE ALSO: Sydenham chorea.

- chronic r. a nonspecific disorder of the joints, slow in progress, producing a painful thickening and contraction of the fibrous structures, interfering with motion, and causing deformity.

- gonorrheal r. an arthritis, usually initially a polyarthritis, but often localizing in one joint as a pyarthrosis caused by systemic infection with the gonococcus.

- r. of the heart rheumatic cardiac valvular disease, most often of the mitral and aortic valves.

- inflammatory r. rheumatoid arthritis or other cause of joint inflammation.

- Macleod r. rheumatoid arthritis with abundant serous effusion in the affected joints.

- muscular r. SYN: fibrositis (2).

- nodose r. 1. SYN: rheumatoid arthritis. 2. an acute or subacute articular r., accompanied by the formation of nodules on the tendons, ligaments, and periosteum in the neighborhood of the affected joints.

- subacute r. a mild but usually protracted form of acute rheumatic fever, often resistant to treatment.

- tuberculous r. an inflammatory condition of the joints or fibrous tissues during the course of tuberculosis.

rheu·ma·tism 'rü-mə-.tiz-əm, 'ru̇m-ə- n

1) any of various conditions characterized by inflammation or pain in muscles, joints, or fibrous tissue <muscular \rheumatism>

2) RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

any disorder in which aches and pains affect the muscles and joints. See rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, osteoarthritis, gout.