Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pathophysiology and Management

Qorban, Ghofran Noor Mohammad; Badghaish, Mohannad Mobarak Omar; Albaqami, Abdulmohsen Shawan; Nemer, Ameera Ahmad; Alali, Aisha Jamal; Al Yaqoub, Rawan Fouad Hassan; Alshamrani, Homoud Abdulaziz; Badahman, Omar Hasan; Ansaif, Rahma Abdulkarim; Alasmari, Metab Ali; Alghamdi, Arwa Yahya; Alshareef, Hussain Ahmad Saud; Aljadeed, Alanoud Mohammed; Almohammed, Ayman Ahmed; Filmban, Doaa Mohammad; Alaql, Abdulrahman Saleh

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pathophysiology and Management

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ King Abdulaziz University Hospital

² King Abdulaziz University

³ Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University

⁴ Immam Abdulrahman Faisal University

⁵ Arabian Gulf University

⁶ Ibn Sina National College

⁷ Primary Health Care Center – Riyadh

⁸ Alexandria University

⁹ Gizan Militarily Hospital

¹⁰ King Fahad Hospital, Madinah

¹¹ King Faisal University

¹² Al Noor Specialist Hospital

¹³ Al Adeel Primary Health Care Center

Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is considered one of the most common, and particularly attacks the joint causing significant individual and community burden, and present with articular as well as extra articular manifestation. Treatment modalities of rheumatoid arthritis have dramatically improved in recent years, significantly decreasing long-term auricular and extra-auricular complications.
Aim of the work: this review was aimedto study the pathophysiology, clinical picture, and management of rheumatoid arthritis, with focus on the newer modalities.
Methodology: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 1985, through February 2017. The following search terms were used: rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammatory disorders, genetic of rheumatoid arthritis, management of rheumatoid arthritis, DMARD, biological agents
Conclusion: The newer modality of treatment must include disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARDs) which must be started as early as possible. Combining DMARDs with corticosteroids will result in significantly better outcomes than monotherapy with any DMARD and decrease long term morbidity associated with this condition.

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