RESEARCH - How often is seropositive RA an erosive disease? A 17-year followup study.

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J Rheumatol. 1993 Oct;20(10):1670-3.

How often is seropositive rheumatoid arthritis an erosive disease? A 17-year

followup study.

Kaarela K, Luukkainen R, Koskimies S.

Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola, Finland.

OBJECTIVE. The frequency of erosiveness was studied in rheumatoid arthritis

(RA) by longterm followup. METHODS. A community based cohort of 263 patients

with recent onset (< or = 6 months) arthritis were followed in Heinola. At

8-year followup examination 113 cases were found to have rheumatoid factor

positive (seropositive) nonspecific arthritis, and 15 were nonerosive in the

radiographs. The 15 patients were reexamined in 1992 (17-year followup).

RESULTS. Eleven of 15 were found to have erosive disease, and of these, 6

had putative psoriatic arthritis, 4 RA, and one monoarthritis of the knee.

Of the remaining 4 seropositive nonerosive cases only one fulfilled the 1987

American College of Rheumatology (ARA) criteria for RA.

CONCLUSION. In patients with seropositive RA with 4 1987 ARA criteria, 99%

developed erosive disease.

PMID: 8295177

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