[Efficacy of radiation synovectomy in degenerative inflammatory and chronic inflammatory joint diseases].
OBJECTIVE
Effect of radiosynovectomy (RS) should be evaluated both by subjective and objective parameters in patients with osteoarthritis and in patients with inflammatory joint disorders not caused by rheumatoid arthritis.


METHODS
A total of 98 joints in 61 patients were investigated. Patients were divided into two groups. The first group included 35 patients with therapy-resistant effusions caused by severe osteoarthritis (46 joints). The second group consisted of 26 patients (52 joints) with ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, undifferentiated spondylarthropathy, psoriatic arthritis, pigmented villo-nodular synovitis, and recurrent synovitis following surgery. Effect of RS was evaluated by a standardized questionnaire and quantified by T/B-ratios derived from blood pool images prior to and after RS.


RESULTS
Within the first patient group suffering from osteoarthritis, 40% showed a good or excellent improvement of clinical symptoms, 51% were unchanged, and in 9% symptoms worsened. Similar results were found in the second patient group. The majority of unchanged results were small finger joints. In contrast, wrist and knee joints showed a better improvement. Good correlation between results of bone scan and patients subjective impression was found in 38% and 67% in the first and the second patient group, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiosynovectomy might be an effective treatment in osteoarthritis and inflammatory joint disorders not caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Kröger
S
S
Abteilung für Nuklearmedizin, Universitätskrankenhauses Eppendorf, Hamburg.
Sawula
J A
JA
Klutmann
S
S
Brenner
W
W
Bohuslavizki
K H
KH
Henze
E
E
Clausen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013583:Synovial Membrane; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Wirksamkeit der Radiosynoviorthese bei degenerativ-entzündlichen und chronisch-entzündlichen Gelenkerkrankungen.