title: Preceding tonsillectomy and appendicectomy in rheumatoid and degenerative arthritis.
abstract: One hundred and sixty-eight patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 87 patients with degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis, OA) were questioned regarding appendicectomy and tonsillectomy surgery. Thirty point four % of patients with RA and 33.3% of those with OA had had a tonsillectomy preceding the onset of their arthritis. Preceding appendicectomy had been performed in 18.5% of RA and 32.2% of OA patients. These results do not support the hypothesis either of inherent or acquired susceptibility to infection in patients with RA.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001062:Appendectomy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014068:Tonsillectomy