Diagnosis and Treatments of Different Forms of Synovitis
Synovitis isinflammationof thesynovium, which is the lining of a joint.
Symptoms associated with synovitis include joint pain, joint swelling, redness, and warmth.
In the absence of inflammatory disease, synovitis is usually brought on by overuse of a joint.
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Synovitis is also a feature of various types ofinflammatory arthritis.
With inflammatory arthritis, signs of synovitis are usually detectable during a physical examination.
Subclinical synovitis can be identified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound.
While MRI is considered the best imaging method for assessing soft tissue, it is expensive and time-consuming.
Active synovitis can lead to permanent joint damage.
That is precisely the concern when synovitis is detectedand exactly why early diagnosis and treatment of arthritis are emphasized.
Synovitis can damage a joint and its surrounding structures, such as the tendons.
A severely damaged joint may become deformed or its structures can fuse together, impairing normal mobility and function.
But a biopsy often reveals a cellular appearance that’s characteristic of this disease.
People with early rheumatoid arthritis may actually have an ongoing disease process that precedes the onset of symptoms.
This suggests a pre-clinical phase which may occur before symptomatic synovitis develops.
Synovitis and Monoarthritis
Once synovitis is identified, the cause of joint inflammation needs to be determined.
In its very early stages, rheumatoid arthritis may begin as monoarthritis (arthritis symptoms affecting one joint).
If you have monoarthritis, your physical examination will establish the presence or absence ofjoint effusionor synovitis.
Treating Symptomatic Synovitis
With a proper diagnosis, appropriate treatment can begin.
DMARDs are usually prescribed right away, but they are slow acting.
Therefore, treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or low dose steroids can help dampen down inflammation.
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