Secondary amyloidosis has decreased in patients with inflammatory joint disease in Finland

We studied whether the high incidence of secondary amyloidosis (SA) is a co nsistent finding in patients with inflammatory joint disease. A total of 45 08 biopsies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or a nkylosing spondylitis were studied at the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital du ring 1987-1997. The results show that the annual number of findings of SA w as reduced from 68 to less than 10. We suggest that a change in medication towards more frequent use of cytostatic, agents is the reason for the reduc tion in incidence of SA.