[Morbidity and mortality in polyarthritic changes of the upper spine]

More than generally assumed rheumatoid arthritis (R.A.) is involved not only in peripheral arthritic manifestations, but also in the cervical spine. The more the stage of this disease is advanced, the more likely the cervical spine shows R.A. specific changes, ranging up to almost 100% in severe cases with destructive mutilations. 78% of our patients with R.A. had radiographic signs of cervical manifestations. Cervical dislocations and instabilities are of special clinical relevance, jeopardizing the patient by a life threatening compression of the myelon in advanced cases. There are no representative investigations about the rate of cervically induced deaths in patients with R. A.