BMJ  2006;332:152-155 (21 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7534.152

Clinical review

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

¹ Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds LS7 4SA p.emery@leeds.ac.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that affects the synovial joints. It is a persistent chronic disease that spreads from joint to joint and affects about 0.5% of people worldwide. Not that long ago it was believed that antirheumatic therapy made little, if any, difference to the long term outcome of the disease.¹ It was thought to be difficult to see patients appropriately early enough in the disease's progression, that an accurate diagnosis was not possible, and that therapies were ineffective. All this has now changed and this review examines these changes.

Fig 1 Normal radiograph of metacarpal phalangeal joint (left) and same joint on ultrasonography (middle) and magnetic resonance imaging (right) showing erosions. M=metacarpus; P=phalange. Arrows represent erosions

 

Sources and selection criteria

I obtained references from Medline, my personal archives, and the proceedings of the last two major international meetings—the European League against Rheumatism, Vienna and the American College of Rheumatology, San Diego. Search terms . . . [Full text of this article]

Conventional management of rheumatoid arthritis

What has changed?

Who will get severe disease?

Does early treatment make a difference?

What therapy is now available in secondary care?

Has an optimal approach been established?

What will the future hold?

Will arthritis prevention be possible?

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