Can rheumatoid vasculitis predate a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis?

Abstract

We report regarding a male patient who presented with a systemic vasculitis that was consistent with a diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa. At presentation, he had no features of inflammatory arthritis but had a high rheumatoid factor titer and low C4 level. Withdrawal of immunosuppression after 6 years resulted in the development of classical rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This case supports previous reports that revealed that vasculitis may predate the development or occur very early in the course of articular RA.