Safety and efficacy of intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide injection versus standard of care in patients with rheumatoid arthritis flare

Triamcinolone acetonide is a commonly used corticosteroid for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) flares, providing extendedrelief. However, there is limited data from controlled trials comparing the efficacy of intra-articular corticosteroid (IACS)injections to standard care, particularly with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This non-randomized,single-center, open-label study evaluated the safety and efficacy of IACS injections in RA patients experiencing kneejoint flare-ups. A total of ۶۴ patients were screened and ۴۴ received IACS (triamcinolone acetonide) and ۱۵ wereincluded in the control group. Significant improvements were observed in the IACS group in pain, swelling, and morningstiffness at week ۲, which were sustained through weeks ۶ and ۱۲. The swollen joint count significantly reduced byweek ۱۲, while the tender joint count showed improvement by week ۲. Pain reduction was substantial, as indicated bysignificant decrease in visual analog scale scores for pain, swelling, and mobility. The disease activity score-۲۸ improvedsignificantly across all time points. In addition, the C-reactive protein level decreased significantly at week ۲ and itsdecreasing trend continued until weeks ۶ and ۱۲. By week ۲, all patients had ceased NSAID use. The study demonstratedthe effectiveness of IACS in reducing RA flare severity, particularly in terms of pain, swelling, and functionalimpairment, with no major safety concerns reported.

کلیدواژه ها:

Rheumatoid arthritis ، Triamcinolone Acetonide ، Intra-articular injections ، corticosteroids ، non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)