Chemical synovectomy with Varicocid in rheumatoid arthritis--further results.

Varicoid was administered to 170 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, to 11 patients with a diagnostically uncertain monarthritis, to 12 patients with exudative gonarthrosis and also to 4 patients with lupus erythematodes visceralis. A total of 262 joints were treated. The short-term results, which were evaluated 4 weeks after the administration of Varicocid, revealed improvement is 95% of the patients. After 12 months, 46% of the patients were found to be free from symptoms within the area of the treated joint, and 33% of the patients showed a considerable improvement. An objectively evident improvement was found in 35 out of 40 patients with rheumatoid arthritis followed up over a period of 3 years. Comparable results after treatment with Varicocid were also obtained in patients suffering from any one of the above-mentioned rheumatic diseases. A new inflammation activity/function index for the evaluation of the local joint therapy has been used. The first investigations both of function and of morphology of the synovial membrane treated with Varicocid are reported. In our opinion, chemical synovectomy with Varicocid fills a gap in the therapy of the rheumatoid arthritis. The essential value of this type of therapy is the absence of toxicity, a temporary increase in local reactions only, and also a continuous improvement, especially in early cases.