[Differentiated laboratory diagnostics of rheumatic diseases]

Laboratory diagnostics of rheumatic diseases include examinations to confirm the diagnosis, estimate prognosis, assess disease activity as well as recognition and avoidance of complications. Although detection and clinical classification of serological signs of inflammation are the first and often decisive steps in the diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, a lack of humoral signs of inflammation does not rule out an inflammatory rheumatic disease. Rheumatological and immunological laboratory diagnostics should always be assessed in the context of the clinical issue and other clinical and technical findings.