الفهرس 
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Diagnostic criteria of RAOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder. It largely affects synovial joints, leading to destruction of the cartilage and erosions of the bone and later on causes disability and loss of function. Synovitis is a predictive factor for irreversible structural changes in RA and serves as surrogate imaging biomarkers. It’s detection and quantification strongly influences the therapeutic decisions of the rheumatologist. Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillaries from preexisting blood vessels. Angiogenesis has been associated with inflammation and inflammatory diseases. Thus, increased angiogenesis have important clinical relevance for rheumatic diseases including RA. The control of inflammatory neovascularization attenuates synovitis in RA. VEGF is probably the key regulator of neovascularization in inflammation that induces the proliferation and migration of
endothelial cells to form new blood vessels which increases vascular
permeability. Serum levels of VEGF correlate well with RA disease activity, so it is considered an activity marker of RA. Ultrasound is a useful tool in the assessment and follow-up of early to established RA. It can detect different pathologic changes and is as effective or even more effective in detecting inflammatory changes as clinical examination.