[The use of 99mTc-pyrophosphate indices in the quantitative evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis activity]

The authors have presented their own method of defining "joint to bone" and "joint to joint" radioactivity indicators with the application of 99mTc-pyrophosphate. Investigations of the degree of 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation in the 4 chosen points have shown that the lowest coefficient of changeability points out at half of crus length. The authors have employed radioactivity measurement of this place as a constant reference point while defining all the indicators "joint to bone". On the basis of the investigations carried out in 45 patients with varied degrees of rheumatoid arthritis activity and in the control group of twenty individuals it was established that the applied method makes possible the quantitative evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis activity in a simple way and in a short time.