A Review on Arthritis

Arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disorder that mainly affects the diarthrodial joint. It is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, and has a substantial societal effect in terms of cost, disability, and lost productivity. It affect 1% of world population and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although the pathogenesis of arthritis remains incompletely understood, much insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved has been gained in the past decade. On the basis of these insights, new therapies have been developed, and clinical trials have shown the efficacy of aggressive treatment of patients with active disease. In this review, we discuss improvements in our understanding of the pathophysiology of inflammatory synovitis in arthritis, and improvements in therapy for patients with the disorder. This chapter discusses the epidemiology, possible etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, diagnostic approach and treatment options of RA.