title: [Prevalence of erosive osteoarthritis of the hand in a population from Venetian area].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The exact prevalence of erosive osteoarthritis (EOA) is still unknown. Aim of our study was therefore to evaluate the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) and EOA of the hand in a representative population from Venetian area.
  
  
  METHODS
  All people aged > 40 years of a small town in Venetian area has been considered. A complete clinical evaluation has been performed in all subjects. For those patients with clinical signs or symptoms of OA, radiographic evaluation of the hands has been carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The entire population aged >40 years living in Silea entered the study. Signs or symptoms of OA were present in 200 out 640 subjects (31.2%), whereas EOA was diagnosed in 17 (8.5%) all female, mean age 57.5 +/-10.1 years (range 41-74) mean disease duration 5.1 +/-3.8 years (range 1-15). The most frequently involved joint was the second DIP of the right hand.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of EOA in the Venetian area seems to be around 8.5%.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra e Divisione di Reumatologia, Università degli Studi, Padua.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavasin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramonda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pianon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sfriso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todesco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence