The Articular Involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis - a Prospective Study

This prospective study was carried out in fifty patients of arthritis fulfilling the inclusion criteria of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was conducted in the department of medicine, B. V. Hospital, Bahawalpur, during the period from February, 2000 to February 2001. Patients age 20 years were studied regardless of sex. They were admitted through emergency and out patients and diagnosed as cases of RA on the basis of history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations. According to this study, the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis was 1.05%, most common pattern at onset is insidious occurring in the third and fourth decades of life. Female to male ratio was 2.5:1. Small joints of hands were most commonly involved. Among the deformities, Boutonnier and Swan Neck deformity were found commonly. Most of the patients of RA presented insidiously and have symmetrical polyarticular involvement. This work was performed to study the mode of onset, pattern of joints involved and commonly encountered articular deformities in rheumatoid arthritis.