LOCAL INJECTION IN TREATMENT OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES

Abstract

Local injections are specially indicated when the patient of rheumatic disease has failed to respond or when there are contraindications to systemic drugs. The injections enable the patient to participate in physical therapy. The first local injection used was at (1951) when Hollander et al, used hydrocortisone as an intra-articular injection in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A lot of recent studies were made about local injection.

Menninger H. et al. (1994), made a study about intra-articular treatment of rheumatoid knee-joint effusion with triamcinolone hexacetonide versus sodium morrhuate. Thirty-one patients with knee effusions associated with rheumatoid arthritis have been treated with two intra-articular injections ofeach 330 mg sodium morrhuate used for synoviorthesis versus a single injection of 20 mg triamcinolone hexacetonide. During an observation period of one year. Five articular parameters as well as patient's and doctor's global assessments were evaluated. Triamcinolone hexacetonide showed an earlier onset and a longer duration of therapeutic effects with high statistical significance. The maximum improvement was significantly more pronounced with triamcinolone hexacetonide than with sodium morrhuate. Finally after one year improvement ...