[Morphological points of departure for the therapy of rheumatic diseases]

Pathogenic mechanisms of several rheumatic diseases are reported. Besides signs of nonspecific inflammation there are characteristic features in some rheumatic disorders: in rheumatoid arthritis one can find mesenchymoid proliferation and - in seropositive cases only - necrosis ot tissue. In ankylosing spondylitis osseous metaplasia of the intervertebral discs, in psoriatic arthritis, osteoclastic and in osteoblastic changes without inflammation. In fibrositis syndrome, however, there was no evidence of inflammation, but one may detect local muscular lesions and proliferation of fibroblasts. Pain in osteoarthritis is always caused by secondary inflammation. Due to this data, the possibilities of treatment are discussed, especially those of nonsteroidal drugs.