ABSTRACT
It is a prospective descriptive study on patients with rheumatological diseases who attended Shin Pa Ku private specialist clinic (SPK) and Patein General Hospital (PGH) from Dec 1998 to July 1999. Spectrum of rheumatological diseases was recorded by using proforma. Among 162 rheumatological cases, there were 6 cases of SLE and 3 cases of Systemic scleros is, and all were females. Among the seronegative diseases, 3 patients were suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, and all were suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, and all were males. In 15 cases of reactive arthritis 47
were males and 53
females. But in 9 cases ofgout, there was male preponderance (78
).Osteoarthritis accounts for 53 cases, with male 36
and 23 cases of rheumatic fever, has also female dominance(79
). Filbromyalgia affected 14 patients and all were females. Among a total of 28 casesof Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mean age was 48.18yr (SD=15.57), Male: Female=1:4. Average duration for morning stiffness was 72.81 min (SD=2.72) and visual anologue pain score (VAPS) was 61.29 (SD=21.13). Grip power of left hand was found to be 88.57mmHg (SD=77.92) and that of right hand was 99.64mmHg (SD=6.50).Only 5.6
had renal involvement. RA occurred in patients irrespective of any educational status and occupation. Most of them had no concomitant diseases at the time of enrollment. RA is the 2nd commonest rhematological disease in this study. Moreover, it especially occurs in working age group and also greatly affects the qualtiyof life.