There is no single test that provides a definitive diagnosis in early return of the disease. Your doctor tries to reach a diagnosis based on your findings, examination and results of blood test, x-ray and other imaging methods.
Since rheumatoid arthritis can affect other organs besides the joint, it would be useful to tell your doctor about all your findings, even if they don’t seem to be related to you.
Blood tests:
With blood tests, changes in your blood due to the inflammatory process are detected. The tests used to detect the inflammatory process are Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) measurement. In the presence of an inflammatory process, these tests are elevated.
Anemia can also be determined by blood tests. In addition, the “Rheumatoid Factor”, an antibody that occurs in response to the immune system, can be checked. Although rheumatoid factor is frequently found positive in RA patients, it is not sufficient by itself to diagnose RA since it can be found in some other diseases and even in healthy individuals. On the other hand, in the early stages of RA, Rheumatoid Factor is found positive in only 50% of the patients. Therefore, a negative test does not mean that the disease does not exist. One out of every 5 RA patients will never be positive for Rheumatoid Factor.
Another diagnostic antibody test is anti-CCP (Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide). Individuals with a positive test result are much more likely to have RA. It is thought that the disease may have a more severe course in patients with both RF and anti-CCP (+) dementia.
It is possible to evaluate the damage caused by the inflammatory process in the joint through X-rays. Since rheumatoid arthritis is seen especially in the joints of the hands and feet and causes damage, your doctor may request x-rays of these areas for follow-up and evaluation purposes even if you do not have a complaint. Apart from X-ray, joint ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging may be requested for differentiating from other diseases, early diagnosis and follow-up of the process.
These examinations should be checked at regular intervals in terms of monitoring the disease process, evaluating the need for medication, and possible drug side effects. The control of routine blood tests should generally be repeated every 3-4 months.
