INFO - How rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed

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American College of Rheumatology

Patient Education

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Last updated May 2004

Excerpt:

How rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed

RA can be difficult to diagnose because it may begin gradually with

subtle symptoms. Many diseases, especially early on, behave in a

manner similar to RA. For this reason, patients suspected of having RA

should be evaluated by a rheumatologist, a physician with the

necessary skill and experience to reach a precise diagnosis and

develop the most appropriate treatment plan.

The diagnosis of RA is based on the symptoms described and physical

examination findings such as warmth, swelling and pain in the joints.

Certain laboratory abnormalities commonly found in RA can help in

establishing a diagnosis. Tell-tale abnormalities include:

anemia (a low red blood cell count);

rheumatoid factor (an antibody eventually found in approximately 80%

of patients with RA, but in only 30% at the start of the arthritis);

and

an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or " sed rate " (a blood test

that in most patients with RA tends to correlate with the amount of

inflammation in the joints).

X-rays can be very helpful in diagnosing RA but may not show any

abnormalities in the first 3–6 months of arthritis. X rays are useful

in determining if the disease is progressing.

It is important to remember that for most patients with this disease

(especially those who have had symptoms for less than six months),

there is no single test that " confirms " a diagnosis of RA. Rather,

diagnosis is established by skillfully evaluating the appropriate

symptoms, physical examination findings, laboratory tests and X-rays.

http://rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/ra_new.asp?aud=pat#4

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Not an MD