SYNOVIAL BIOPSY - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY FROM SAUDI-ARABIA AND MALAYSIA

A comparative study of synovitis in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia was made with a view to determining any geographic variation in the incidence and pattern of the arthritides. The diagnostic spectrum in both series included pyogenic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, brucellar and tube rcular arthritis, gout, pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial cho ndromatosis and acute rheumatic fever: Date-palm them synovitis was ob served only in the Saudi Arabian series. While brucellar and tuberculo us arthritis were predominantly seen in Saudi Arabia, the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis, pigmented villonodular synovitis and acute supp urative arthritis was almost equal in both countries.