[Value of radiosynovectomy in rheumatology and orthopedics]

For many years radiosynovectomy has proved its worth in the treatment of inflammatory joint disease. More recently there has also been growing interest in the use of this method for outpatient treatment. In this overview we discuss the established and new indications. With increasing use of the method, interest should be focused on adequate quality control. Accordingly, basic requirements for correct performance of radiosynovectomy in clinical practice are addressed. Our results, based on five years' experience of radiosynovectomy in outpatients, have shown improvement of clinical symptoms in 60-70% of cases. However, success rates of this kind require high quality standards and close cooperation with the referring rheumatologists.