SKin Histo - Pathological Findings as a Paratneter of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

The present study was carried out on 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology Criteria for diagnosis of RA (Arnett et al. 1987), and I 0 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) as a control group.

All patients were assessed for. clinical rheumatological and dermatological examination, radiologically and blood work was done for all patients.

Skin biopsy punch was taken from the extensor surface of right elbow and right thigh about 10 em above the upper pole of knee patella and from the skin lesions.

After processing of the biopsy specimen, s ctioning and staining with hematoxylin and Eosin.

The histopathological film was examined by two examiners under light microscope using the modified CORE and Column Scoring System (Ellabban and Keenan, 1996).

The sex frequency of studied groups was 50 patients, 44 of them (88%) were female and the other 6 patients (I2%) were male. The control group were 10 patients 8 of then (80%) were female and the other 2 patients (20%) were maces. Concerning the mode of onset in studied group. The articular onset, was in 48 patients (96%) and the other 2 patients had a periarticular onset (4%) but the control group of patient has only articular onset in the all 10 patients (10%).

Rheumatoid nodule was present in 10% our RA patients study. Vascuilitis was present in 6% of patients of them 2% had leg ulcers, 2% had digital gangrene and the last 2% had palpable purpura, Lichen