MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN HAVING EDEMA IN BOTH ANKLES AND SEVERE KNEE PAIN FOR A MONTH NOW. WENT TO RHEUMATOLIGIST YESTERDAY AND HE ASPIRATED THE FLUID IN KNEE WITH RESULTS OF 2500--DREW BLOOD AND TOOK XRAYS OF KNEES AND ANKLES. MY HUSBAND IS ALREADY SUFFERRING FROM COPD-EMPHYSEMA AND ASBESTAS PLEURISY AND NO ONE WII TELL US ANYTHING--I HAVE SOME MEDICAL BACKGROUND AND THE DR SAID WHEN HE DID SLIDE IT LOOKED AROUND 1200 UNTIL HE SENT TO LAB--BOTH HIS PRIMARY AND PULMONOLOGIST SAY HE IS A VERY POOR CANIDATE FOR KNEE REPLACEMENT BUT COULD THIS BE SOMETHING ELSE? IT S GOING TO BE A LONG WEEKEND IF I DON T GET SOME ANSWERS. THANKYOU.
Hi your husband has severe pain in the knee joint and swelling of both ankles. Knee joint has been aspirated. He is a known case of COPD with Asbestos is. This is most likely to be COPD related swelling in ankles with Osteoarthritis in the knee joint. I would not advise a knee replacement in view of his present condition of lungs. You can start paracetamol as painkiller + physical therapy for the knee joint. For ankle joint, follow the advice given by your rheumatologist.