title: A thermographic and clinical comparison of three intra-articular steroid preparations in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: We have compared three intra-articular steroid preparations in a double blind study on 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and bilateral synovitis of the knees. One knee was injected with 1.0 ml of either prednisolone t-butyl acetate, methyl prednisolone acetate, or triamcinolone hexacetonide, and the patients were followed up for 6 weeks with regular clinical and thermographic assessments. Thermographic improvement was seen with all 3 drugs but was greatest initially and longest lasting with triamcinolone. No significant systemic improvement was seen with any drug after a single injection, though all 3 steroid preparations suppressed endogenous cortisol.
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007717:Knee; D011897:Random Allocation; D013817:Thermography
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone