Characterization of patients with undifferentiated arthritis and evolution to other inflammatory diseases in a Colombian northwestern cohort: An observational study

Authors

  • Carlos Jaime Velásquez Franco
  • Daniel Peña Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Deisy Tatiana Sánchez Zapata Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Deisy Sánchez Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Sara Puche Gómez Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Juliana Caro Palacio Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Alejandra Mejía Mora Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Libia María Rodríguez Padilla Epidemióloga. Docente Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
  • Miguel Antonio Mesa Navas Docente Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín Servicio de Reumatología. Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana. Medellín

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.36.2.616.722

Keywords:

Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Antirheumatic Agents

Abstract

Introduction: Undifferentiated arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy that does not meet the criteria of specific rheumatological diseases and whose symptoms persist for one year. These individuals may spontaneously remit or evolve to another defined arthropathy, especially rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics, both baseline and follow-up, of patients with undifferentiated arthritis in a reference center.

Materials and methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted with patients with undifferentiated arthritis defined by rheumatologist criteria. Sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutic variables were analyzed. The qualitative variables were expressed as absolute and relative frequencies and the quantitative variables with median and interquartile range.

Results: 66 patients were included; the median age was 46.3 years (IQR: 37.5-51.8); 10 subjects (15.2%) had a family history of rheumatoid arthritis. Forty individuals (60.6%) had involvement in proximal interphalangeal joints; the main symptom was morning stiffness in 29 patients (44%). The most frequent extra-articular involvement was cutaneous (n = 14, 21.2%). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n=18; 27.2%) and steroids (n=15; 22.7%) were the most frequent treatments. Of 43 patients, 22 (51.2%) remained with a diagnosis of undifferentiated arthritis, 18 (41.9%) progressed to other diseases, the most frequent being rheumatoid arthritis, and in three (7%) there was disease remission.

Conclusions: In a cohort of patients with undifferentiated arthritis from northwestern Colombia, after 12 months, most of them persist with this diagnosis; it was striking the important frequency of a family history of rheumatoid arthritis and a low spontaneous remission.

Author Biographies

  • Daniel Peña, Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Deisy Tatiana Sánchez Zapata, Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Deisy Sánchez, Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Sara Puche Gómez, Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Juliana Caro Palacio, Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Alejandra Mejía Mora, Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Médico y Cirujano. Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Libia María Rodríguez Padilla, Epidemióloga. Docente Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín
    Epidemióloga. Docente Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia
  • Miguel Antonio Mesa Navas, Docente Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín Servicio de Reumatología. Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana. Medellín
    Docente Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Medellín, ColombiaServicio de Reumatología. Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana. Medellín, Colombia

Downloads

Published

2020-10-05

Issue

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

How to Cite

Characterization of patients with undifferentiated arthritis and evolution to other inflammatory diseases in a Colombian northwestern cohort: An observational study. (2020). SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL SALUD UNINORTE, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.14482/sun.36.2.616.722

Similar Articles

1-10 of 77

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)