The Pattern of Joints Involvement in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Rheumatology Clinic Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic
inflammatory disease with primary manifestation in
the joints. Early management of RA will prevent further
joint damage. The joint damages, result of uncontrolled
disease activity, will decrease patient’s quality of life.
RA should be diagnosed earlier and followed by early
treatment initiation, in order to prevent further damages.
This study aimed to determine the pattern of joint
involvement in RA in order to made earlier diagnosis and
treatment initiation.
Method: This research was conducted using descriptive
study design. Data were obtained using interview of
RA patients who coming to Rheumatology Clinic of Dr.
Hasan Sadikin General Hospital from August 2016 to
October 2016. Collected data included number of joints
involvement, duration of therapy, and duration of illness
after diagnosed according to the criteria of ACR / EULAR
2010.
Result: Ninety-seven RA patients were involved in
this study. Subjects were dominantly women (87%),
the highest age group was 45-49 years old (17.53%),
duration of the disease <5 years (90.72%), and duration
of therapy > 3 months (86%). Joint that frequently
involved at the time when the diagnosis made was
first proximal interphalangeal (49.50%), overall findings
during the course of RA was the wrist joint (90.72%).
There were different tendency of joint involvement
between the gender, knee joints occured in 53,84% male
subjects, while PIP joints were accounted for 52,38% in
female subjects.
Conclusion: The first PIP was the most common joint
involved in RA patients when the diagnosis made. The
wrist joint involvement was dominantly found in overall
course of RA. Knee joint involvement was majorly found
in male RA patients, whereas female RA patients would
suffer mostly from PIP joint involvement.
Keywords: involvement pattern, joints, rheumatoid
arthritis