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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Erosion Identification in Metacarpophalangeal Joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis using High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography
Published on: October 6, 2023
Rapid periapical bone destruction during endodontic treatment of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis
Won-Mann Oh1, In-Nam Hwang, Ho-Hyun Son
1Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Abstract:
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease with an unknown etiology. Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive drug that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. This case report describes the rapid periapical bone destruction that occurred during the endodontic treatment of a rheumatoid arthritis patient taking azathioprine and a corticosteroid. The cause of the rapid destruction is unclear. However, severe side effects can occur after administering azathioprine to rheumatoid arthritis patients. Therefore, dentists should check the patient's medical state thoroughly in order to prevent side effects when performing endodontic treatment.

