How often is seropositive rheumatoid arthritis an erosive disease? A 17-year followup study.
OBJECTIVE
The frequency of erosiveness was studied in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by longterm followup.


METHODS
A community based cohort of 263 patients with recent onset (< or = 6 months) arthritis were followed in Heinola. At 8-year followup examination 113 cases were found to have rheumatoid factor positive (seropositive) nonspecific arthritis, and 15 were nonerosive in the radiographs. The 15 patients were reexamined in 1992 (17-year followup).


RESULTS
Eleven of 15 were found to have erosive disease, and of these, 6 had putative psoriatic arthritis, 4 RA, and one monoarthritis of the knee. Of the remaining 4 seropositive nonerosive cases only one fulfilled the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ARA) criteria for RA.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with seropositive RA with 4 1987 ARA criteria, 99% developed erosive disease.
Kaarela
K
K
Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola, Finland.
Luukkainen
R
R
Koskimies
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis*
D012217:Rheumatoid Factor