Early arthritis

Brygida Kwiatkowska

eISSN: 2084-9834
ISSN: 0034-6233

Reumatologia/Rheumatology

Current issue Archive Manuscripts accepted About the journal Supplements Editorial board Reviewers Abstracting and indexing Subscription Contact Ethical standards and procedures

Editorial System

Submit your Manuscript

Editorial Policies

Sarajevo Declaration on Integrity and Visibility of Scholarly Publications

2/2012
vol. 50

Send email

Copy url:

abstract:

Short communication

Early arthritis

Brygida Kwiatkowska

Reumatologia 2012; 50, 2: 79–82

Online publish date: 2012/06/01

View full text Get citation

In the first 12 weeks of persistence of arthritis symptoms a significant number of patients do not fulfil the criteria for the classification and diagnosis of a specific rheumatic disease. Such cases are recognized under the name of undifferentiated or early arthritis. Patients with early arthritis should be immediately referred to the rheumatologist, whose task is to implement all diagnostic tests necessary to establish, in the shortest possible time, the diagnosis and the presence of prognostic factors for the development of a chronic inflammation (Fig. 1). In case of revealing unfavourable prognostic factors, treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) should be started immediately. Methotrexate is a drug of first choice with a dose of 25–30 mg per week recommended. The diagnostic standards for patients with early arthritis have been established in Europe and should be applicable in Poland as well.

keywords:

undifferentiated arthritis, morning stiffness, axial symptoms

EVENTS/KONFERENCJE

BOOKS/KSIĄŻKI