Older Adult Joint Pain Differential Diagnosis

A 78 year-old woman with well-controlled hypertension and dyslipidemia presents with a chief complaint of a many month history of pain, described as achiness, and stiffness in the joints both hands, particularly towards the end of the day. A part-time seamstress, she reports this discomfort is worse on work days.  She denies redness or heat in the affected regions and has no systemic complaints. Physical exam reveals Heberden and Bouchard nodes bilaterally. These findings are most consistent with a diagnosis of:

A. Rheumatoid arthritis
B. Systemic lupus erythematosus 
C. Osteoporosis
D. Osteoarthritis

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