[Muscular pathology in rheumatoid arthritis: a clinico-morphological study]

Muscular pathology was studied clinically, electromyographically, at light microscopy and assessment of tissue microcirculation in 34 patients with significant RA. 22 patients had systemic manifestations, in 12 patients articular lesions predominated. It was found that RA patients with systemic signs had more advanced muscular pathology, more frequent generalized amyotrophy, declined muscular function, low capacity of microcirculatory bed. These patients showed primarily vascular disorders. In RA patients with articular lesions muscular affections become more evident.