XXXX clinical features and management strategies at an urban tertiary facility in Pakistan.

@entity1 @entity85 @entity309
OBJECTIVE: To determine the presentation patterns, biologically vulnerable @entity1 groups and treatment strategies of @entity309 . METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at the Rheumatology Clinic of Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Karachi, and comprised data of rheumatology @entity1 who presented between September 2006 and September 2012. After screening all the files, @entity309 cases were identified. Data collection was done using a questionnaire that included @entity1 demographics, co-morbidities, clinical manifestations and drug therapy. SPSS 13 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of the 2300 files screened, 500(21.7%) related to @entity1 of @entity309 . The mean age at presentation of these 500 @entity1 was 41  15 years. There were 367(73.4%) @entity1 and they presented at an earlier age compared to @entity1 (p<0.024). Erosions were present in 198(40%) @entity1 on X-rays and 22(4.4%) had @entity85 . @entity309 was associated with higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels (p<0.014), but did not differ from seronegative @entity309 in terms of Disease Activity Score-28 levels (p<0.21). CONCLUSIONS: The skewed gender distribution was likely an effect of @entity309 biology rather than due to issues of healthcare accessibility. Seronegative RA is likely to present late though it is as destructive as the seropositive disease.
