title: Prevalence of rheumatic diseases in a rheumatological outpatient practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence and distribution of rheumatic diseases in a community based rheumatological outpatient practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rheumatological diagnoses of 3751 consecutive new and returning patients were recorded using a standard diagnosis form.
  
  
  RESULTS
  6264 rheumatological diagnoses were made in 3751 patients, of whom 1097 were newly referred; 69% of all patients were female. Inflammatory joint and spine diseases were diagnosed in 42% of all patients (including 5% with connective tissue diseases), soft tissue rheumatism in 37%, degenerative joint and spine diseases in 36%, and metabolic bone diseases in 17% of all patients. In new patients soft tissue rheumatism was most prevalent (51%), 45% had osteoarthritis, 24% had inflammatory joint and spine disease (including 2% with connective tissue disease), and 13% had metabolic bone disease. One of 10 new patients was diagnosed with definite rheumatoid arthritis. In returning patients the prevalence of inflammatory rheumatic diseases was higher (49%, including 6% with connective tissue diseases). 28% of the returning patients had rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis was present in 33% and metabolic bone disease in 19% of the returning patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soft tissue rheumatism and degenerative joint and spine diseases are the most common rheumatological diagnoses in newly referred patients visiting a community based rheumatological outpatient practice. Inflammatory rheumatic diseases were most prevalent in returning patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Centre for Bone and Joint Diseases, Biomedical Research Institute, Limburg University Centre, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanhoof
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Declerck
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geusens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012219:Rheumatology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology