title: Clinical and laboratory features of patients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed at rheumatology services in the Brazilian municipality of Cascavel, PR, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brazilian epidemiological studies on rheumatoid arthritis are scarce, thus all data currently available originate from the international literature.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence and some clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the municipality of Cascavel, state of Paraná, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected between August 2010 and July 2011 in all health services of the municipality of Cascavel that provided health care in Rheumatology: a university-affiliated hospital, a public outpatient clinic and four private clinics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 38 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, resulting in an estimated incidence of 13.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants/year. Thirty two patients were females, whose mean age was 47.6 years. The age group with the highest incidence was over 40 years. The mean time between first symptoms and diagnosis was 12.4 months. Rheumatoid factor was positive in 68.4% of the patients, and 18.4% already had radiological abnormalities at diagnosis. The pharmacological treatment of patients was also assessed and proved to be in accordance with those found in the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis obtained in the municipality of Cascavel was lower than those reported in international studies.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliano Maximiano
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Rodrigo Antonio
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: Juliana Lustoza
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mauad
authors.forename: Lauren Gabrielle
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Márcio Augusto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Poliana Vieira da Silva
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Menolli
authors.forename: Rafael Andrade
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Menolli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult