Healing phenomena of erosive changes in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To describe radiographic healing phenomena and reparative changes of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Serial radiographs of 6 patients with erosive RA undergoing long-term treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were studied. Radiographs showing healing phenomena were reproduced, and examples of single joints are shown.


RESULTS
The examples show recortication of erosions, filling in of erosions with new bone, and secondary osteoarthrosis with bone sclerosis and osteophyte formation. Commonly use radiographic scoring methods do not have the capacity to account for these reparative changes.


CONCLUSIONS
Healing phenomena can be observed in RA patients undergoing long-term DMARD treatment. These phenomena can be regarded as clinical end points, and their assessment should be incorporated into existing standardized methods for radiologic evaluation and scoring of RA.
Evangelisches Fachkrankenhaus, Ratingen, Germany.
R
R
Rau
G
G
Herborn
D000328:Adult; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents