Observations on the Use of Cortisone and ACTH in Rheumatoid Arthritis

CORTISONE and ACTH have favorable effects on the clinical, laboratory and histologic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. However, neither of these agents is curative or specific, and both are capable of inducing the disturbing biochemical and pathologic changes of Cushing's syndrome.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 It is too early to determine their effects on the ultimate course of this unpredictable, chronic disease, but cumulative experience permits certain general conclusions regarding their ameliorative properties. "Improvement" in rheumatoid arthritis embraces a variety of changes in its manifestations, ranging from remissions in articular and systemic inflammatory processes to purely functional or subjective changes. Accordingly, it is difficult to . . .