FREQUENCY OF AN ACRAL NODULOSIS IN METHOT REXATE-TREATED PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT INFLAMMATORY RHEUMATIC DISEASES

The significance of acral nodulosis under methotrexate therapy is stil l controversial. Among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and methotre xate therapy this manifestation could be observed in 8/163 (5%). All c ases were seropositive and already treated with other LAAD. Patients w ith other inflammatory rheumatic diseases under methotrexate therapy ( n = 83) did not develop this nodulosis. The acral nodulosis is interpr eted as a typical side-effect of methotrexate only in patients with rh eumatoid arthritis. Histopathologically, these nodules do not differ f rom the typical rheumatoid nodule.