[Evaluation of disease activity by hand X-ray findings in rheumatoid arthritis]

It would appear to us that the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in whom articular bone lesions were confined to the wrist and/or carpal joints in X-ray films, may follow a milder disease activity than do the patients with the hand and finger joint lesions. To clarify it, the present study was performed retrospectively. RA patients showing stage II or more lesions in the wrists and/or carpal joints but no lesions over stage II in any hand and finger joint (MCP, IP and PIP) radiologically after 5 years or more duration were regarded as the carpal type (C type). The clinical and laboratory data were compared between 44 patients of the C type RA and 44 patients of other type RA, matched in the sex, age and disease duration. Significant differences were observed in the following parameters between the 2 groups; the functional class, Lansbury's activity index, number of the affected joints, ESR, CRP and hemoglobin values, and ADL scores. That is, Hb values and ADL scores were higher, but the others were lower, in the C type RA group than in other type RA group. The positive percentage and titer of rheumatoid factor were not significantly different between the 2 groups. It was concluded that C type RA patients are milder in the activity and fewer in the number of affected joints than other type RA patients. Furthermore it was suggested that C type RA patients may have milder clinical course and better prognosis than other type RA patients.