title: Clinical features, scintiscan characteristics and X-ray progression of late onset rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The clinical features, serology behaviour, scintiscan characteristics and the degree of X-ray progression according to the disease duration were compared in two RA groups with a disease onset after 65 years of age (LORA) and before 65 (EORA) respectively. No differences emerged in either the clinical findings or in the scintiscan picture. A sub-group of LORA showed acute flares of the illness presenting with very high ESR values and high fever. The erosive index (EI) evaluated in three areas (carpal-bone and wrist, MCP and PIP joints) revealed an undistinguishable degree of X-ray damage either in seropositive or seronegative patients, whereas seropositive EORA fared clearly worse than seronegative ones. A prospective study in two small sub-groups of LORA and EORA revealed a progression of X-ray erosions despite second line drug treatment in both groups, especially in LORA.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013997:Time Factors; D008625:Tiopronin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D006886:Hydroxychloroquine; D006046:Gold; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D008625:Tiopronin; D008775:Methylprednisolone