[On the main stages of the history of intra-articular therapy].
In this review the main stages in the history of intra-articular therapy of the rheumatic diseases are summarized. The first approach to such a local treatment has been likely performed in 1792 by the French physician Jean Gay, who injected in a swelling knee the "eau du Goulard" (Goulard's water), namely a mixture based on lead compounds. In the XIX century iodine derivatives have been mainly applied as an intra-articular treatment. In the XX century, before the wide use of intra-articular corticosteroids, chiefly due to the Joseph Lee Hollander's experiences, a variety of drugs has been employed, including cytostatics and sclerosing substances. A further important stage has been synoviorthesis, by using specific radionuclides, that would actually represent an anti-synovial treatment. In the last years a spread use of intra-articular hyaluronic acid, particularly in osteoarthritis, has been recorded, with the aim to warrant articular viscosupplementation. Future of intra-articular treatment should be represented by the biological drugs, i.e., anti-TNF, but it is still untimely to define the exact role of such a local treatment of arthritis.
Marson
P
P
U.O. Immunotrasfusionale, Azienda Ospedale Università di Padova, Padova, Italia. piero.marson@sanita.padova.it
Pasero
G
G
Punzi
L
L
Zanchin
G
G
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000266:history*; D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history*; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000266:history; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular / Q000266:history* / Q000295:instrumentation; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid