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Prevalence of rheumatic diseases in a rheumatological outpatient practice
J Vanhoof1, K Declerck, P Geusens
1Clinical Research Centre for Bone and Joint Diseases, Biomedical Research Institute, Limburg University Centre, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Objective:
To assess the prevalence and distribution of rheumatic diseases in a community based rheumatological outpatient practice.
Methods:
Rheumatological diagnoses of 3751 consecutive new and returning patients were recorded using a standard diagnosis form.
Results:
6264 rheumatological diagnoses were made in 3751 patients, of whom 1097 were newly referred; 69% of all patients were female. Inflammatory joint and spine diseases were diagnosed in 42% of all patients (including 5% with connective tissue diseases), soft tissue rheumatism in 37%, degenerative joint and spine diseases in 36%, and metabolic bone diseases in 17% of all patients. In new patients soft tissue rheumatism was most prevalent (51%), 45% had osteoarthritis, 24% had inflammatory joint and spine disease (including 2% with connective tissue disease), and 13% had metabolic bone disease. One of 10 new patients was diagnosed with definite rheumatoid arthritis. In returning patients the prevalence of inflammatory rheumatic diseases was higher (49%, including 6% with connective tissue diseases). 28% of the returning patients had rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis was present in 33% and metabolic bone disease in 19% of the returning patients.
Conclusions:
Soft tissue rheumatism and degenerative joint and spine diseases are the most common rheumatological diagnoses in newly referred patients visiting a community based rheumatological outpatient practice. Inflammatory rheumatic diseases were most prevalent in returning patients.