[Experience with long term low dose methotrexate treatment in rheumatoid arthritis and arthritic psoriasis]

The clinical efficacy and the side effects of a long term (max. 42 months, min. 5 months) weekly pulse methotrexate treatment (10 mg/week) were investigated in 31 rheumatoid arthritis patients and in 14 with psoriatic arthritis. A reduction in the number of inflamed joints and diminished duration of morning stiffness could be observed together with a decrease of pain and of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with psoriatic arthritis the intensity of joint pain was not influenced considerable and the decrease of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was not as great as in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Ineffectivity of the methotrexate treatment occurred in one rheumatoid arthritic patient. The methotrexate treatment could not be carried on in two rheumatoid arthritic patients because of adverse side effects.