Osmic acid treatment for rheumatoid synovitis.

47 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and synovitis were treated with intra-articular injection of hydrocortisone and 52 patients with both hydrocortisone acetate and osmic acid. In another series of 24 patients with synovitis in both knees were injected with osmic acid to the more seriously affected knee and with methylprednisoloneacetate to the other knee. Osmic acid gave better improvement than corticosteroid alone, although the difference between th groups of the latter series was not statistically significant. On the basis of previous investigations and this study osmic acid is one alternative to radiation or surgical synovectomy in rheumatoid synovitis. The therapeutic result is not always satisfactory but facility of treatment and minor side effects are the advantages of osmic acid therapy.