XXXX ; clinical and laboratory features, treatment and progress of 45 cases.

@entity1 @entity230 @entity11533 @entity1910 @entity625 @entity55 @entity2293 @entity117 @entity2396 @entity409 @entity5641 @entity1623 @entity5642 @entity381 @entity2720 @entity3352 @entity221
The clinical and laboratory features, treatment, prognosis, complications and disability of 45 @entity1 with @entity11533 were studied. Sixty per cent of the @entity1 were female. Median age at onset was 25 years and median observation period after onset was 41 months. For 28 @entity1 detailed data were available of the first month of illness. In only 43 per cent of these did the disease present with the classical triad of @entity221 , @entity625 and @entity1910 , although in the whole group eventually, @entity221 with temperatures of 40 degrees C or more occurred in 84 per cent, @entity625 in 98 per cent, and the typical @entity1910 in 82 per cent. In 32 per cent of the @entity1 with @entity1910 , this was pruritic. Other features seen frequently were: lymphadenopathy (71 per cent), @entity381 (36 per cent), @entity5641 and/or @entity55 (31 per cent), @entity2396 (22 per cent), leucocytosis (98 per cent) and @entity409 (84 per cent). The high spiking @entity221 was reduced to normal in six of 21 cases (29 per cent) by @entity117 , in 19 of 27 cases (70 per cent) by @entity3352 and in six of seven cases (86 per cent) by @entity1623 . In 16 of 21 cases (76 per cent) glucocorticoids reduced the systemic and/or joint symptoms. In three @entity1 who remained febrile on glucocorticoids, @entity3352 reduced temperature to normal. Eight @entity1 whose @entity2720 improved on @entity230 later developed severe joint destructions. Thirteen @entity1 received one or several slow-acting antirheumatic drugs. Only in eight of 18 trials (44 per cent) with one of these drugs did symptoms and signs improve. Fifty-one per cent of the 45 @entity1 had self-limiting disease and 49 per cent had persistent disease with continuous activity for at least one year. At the time of evaluation 47 per cent of the 45 @entity1 were in remission without medication, 33 per cent were in remission while on medication and 20 per cent had active disease. Three life-threatening complications occurred: two @entity1 developed signs of @entity2293 and one almost died from @entity5642 . Disability was determined primarily by the course of the @entity625 . At the time of review 43 per cent of the 45 @entity1 had no joint destruction (Group 1), 24 per cent had destruction of at least one joint, but had no evidence of disease of the root joints (Group 2) and 33 per cent had destruction in at least one root joint (Group 3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
