PMID: 9636949Jun 24, 1998Paper

Rheumatoid arthritis in Congo-Brazzaville. A study of thirty-six cases

Revue Du Rhumatisme : Joint, Bone, Spine Diseases
R Bileckot, A C Malonga

Abstract

To define the epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis in a hospital-based population in Congo-Brazzaville. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 36 subjects seen on an inpatient or outpatient basis at our rheumatology department who met American College of Rheumatology criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. There were 28 women and eight men (male to female ratio, 0.28), with a mean age of 43.5 years. The total number of patients seen at our department during the study period was 3518, yielding a prevalence of 1% for rheumatoid arthritis. Seven per cent of the patients with inflammatory joint disease had rheumatoid arthritis. Mean disease duration was 9.5 years (range, 1-25 years). The onset was gradual in every case and distal joints were affected first in 33 patients. All the patients but one had bilateral symmetric polyarthritis; affected joints included the proximal interphalangeal joints (n: 33), the metacarpophalangeal joints (n: 27), the wrists (n: 27), the metatarsophalangeal joints (n: 20), the knees (n: 26), the elbows (n: 18), the hips (n: 4), the temporomandibular joints (n: 4), and the cervical spine (n: 5). Boutonnière deformity of the fingers was the most common joint defo...Continue Reading

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