title: Rifamycin SV versus triamcinolone in local treatment of rheumatoid synovitis.
abstract: This study was aimed to evaluate the usefulness of rifamycin SV as an agent for local treatment of rheumatoid synovitis. Rifamycin SV was compared with triamcinolone acetonide in a randomized controlled trial on 87 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and with persistent knee synovitis. The treatment with rifamycin consisted of several weekly intra-articular injections, whereas triamcinolone was given as a single intra-articular injection. At the end of the therapy, 27 (61.4%) of the 44 rifamycin patients and 39 (91%) of the 43 steroid patients responded well to the treatment, and this difference was significant (p < 0.01). Rifamycin SV was responsible for unpleasant local side effects in all cases. In both groups, after 1 year of follow-up the synovitis had relapsed in about 42% of cases. We conclude that rifamycin SV is less useful than triamcinolone acetonide in the local treatment of rheumatoid synovitis.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Rheumatology, University of Milan, Istituto Ortopedico G. Pini, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchesoni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sinigaglia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varenna
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Battafarano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D012294:Rifamycins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013585:Synovitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014221:Triamcinolone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D012294:Rifamycins; D014221:Triamcinolone; C023808:rifamycin SV