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Noun: rheumatism  'roo-mu`ti-zum
  1. Any painful disorder of the joints or muscles or connective tissues
     
  2. A chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint
    - rheumatoid arthritis, atrophic arthritis

Derived forms: rheumatisms

See also: rheumatic

Type of: arthritis, autoimmune disease, autoimmune disorder, disease

Encyclopedia: Rheumatism

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