Haemophilic synovitis: is rifampicin an alternative?

Septic Arthritis in Pediatric Hemophilia A: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Hemophilia A is a hereditary bleeding disorder due to coagulation factor VIII deficiency. Septic arthritis is in itself a dreaded infective condition of the joint. It is much more common in hemophilia patients than the general population and is associated with considerably higher morbidity. It presents as a difficult clinical and therapeutic problem, necessitating prompt diagnosis and intensive therapy. There was under-diagnosis of blood coagulation disorders in developing countries like India which has improved in the present time. But there is still considerable uncertainty about proper management guidelines, protocols and resources settings for treating this complication in hemophilia patients. Hereby we present a case of a 9-year-old hemophilia A patient with septic arthritis of knee joint treated at a tertiary hospital centre with available present recommended guidelines in literature, and stress upon the necessity of further formulating and improvising management guidelines for treatment and prevention of this complication in Hemophilia.

Clinical and Radiological Evaluation After Chemical Synovectomy With Rifampicin in Hemophilic Arthropathy: Korean Experience With a 2-Week Interval Protocol

Objective

To assess the clinical outcome of chemical synovectomy with rifampicin in hemophilic arthropathy by using the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) scoring system and plain radiograph.

Methods

We performed rifampicin synovectomy (RS) on 30 joints of 28 hemophilic patients diagnosed as hemophilic arthropathy stage I–III (based on Fernandez-Palazzi clinical classification). Clinical status (bleeding frequency, pain, joint physical status) and radiological staging were evaluated as parts of the WFH scoring system before and 1 year after RS. The patients were divided into two groups by the Arnold-Hilgartner scale of the initial X-ray as stage 3 or less for the low-stage group (n=17) and over 3 for the high-stage group (n=13).

Results

Total WFH joint physical scores were reduced after injection, and the number of bleeding episodes and pain showed especially significant improvement. For other subscores of the WFH joint physical score, only swelling, range of motion, and crepitus showed statistically significant improvement. According to the severity of the radiologic finding, the WFH joint physical score of both the low-stage and high-stage groups showed significant improvement. In the radiological aspect, the low-stage group, without joint space narrowing at the initial plain radiograph, showed no further aggravation after injection. However, in the high-stage group, radiology found aggravation regardless of the procedure.

Conclusion

It is suggested that chemical synovectomy with rifampicin may prevent hemarthrosis and improve clinical symptoms. Especially in the early stage of arthropathy without joint-space narrowing, it seems to have an additional benefit that delays radiological aggravation and preserves joint status.

Synoviorthesis in haemophilia patients with inhibitors

Recurrent bleeding into joints represents the clinical hallmark of haemophilia and, if not adequately treated, it may cause chronic synovitis and degenerative arthropathy. In haemophilia patients with inhibitors, a more severe degree of synovitis is often observed owing to the fact that treatment is more problematic in this setting. The first treatment option of recurrent haemarthroses and/or chronic synovitis is represented by synoviorthesis, both chemical and radioisotopic, with a success rate of approximately 80% for both. However, radioisotopic synoviorthesis should be preferred in inhibitor patients because it makes it possible to obtain complete synovial fibrosis usually in one session, without the need for repeated injections, thus reducing the risk of bleeding complications and concentrate consumption. For all these reasons this procedure should be implemented and supported, particularly in developing countries.

Radiation synovectomy by 188Re-Sulfide in haemophilic synovitis

Radiation synovectomy is a safe and effective treatment for chronic haemophilic synovitis causing recurrent haemarthroses. This study reports results of 29 188Re-sulfide radiation synovectomies in knee joint with a follow-up 18 months. Using the absorbed dose factor, three groups of radioactivity dose (555 MBq, 687 MBq and 917 MBq) were used according to the synovium thickness that measured by MRI. Excellent and good results (haemarthrosis reduction from 75 to 100%) were obtained in 71% of cases at 18 months. Comparison of the results, no significant difference was found among the radioactivity dose groups. Radiation was well contained within the knee. There were no observed or identified complications including the detectable harm to the articular cartilage, as shown by MRI.

Phosphate-32 colloid radiosynovectomy in hemophilia: outcome of 125 procedures

Radiosynovectomy offers a potentially effective, minimally invasive option for patients with chronic hemarthrosis and synovitis. The long-term outcome of patients with hemophilia who were treated with phosphate-32 chromic phosphate radiosynovectomy was evaluated. One hundred twenty-five procedures in 81 patients were done. Two- to 10-year followup by age and joint included joint bleeding and quality-of-life assessment. In addition, a relative cost comparison, scintigraphic imaging, and evaluation of biodistribution of the radionuclide were done. Of 125 procedures, 54% resulted in complete cessation of bleeding into the treated joint after the procedure, and 73% of patients reported improved mobility of the treated joint. Of patients 18 years old and younger, 79% had a greater than 75% reduction in bleeding incidence, and of patients older than 40 years, only 56% had a similar reduction. Seventy-nine percent of patients surveyed had a significant improvement in quality of life attributable to the treated joint. No evidence of significant leakage was observed. Billing records analysis indicated that radiosynovectomy costs less than 5% of surgical synovectomy. Phosphate-32 chromic phosphate radiosynovectomy is a clinically useful, safe, and cost-effective outpatient procedure in the treatment of patients with chronic hemarthrosis and synovitis.

32P chromic phosphate radiosynovectomy for chronic haemophilic synovitis

The principal medical consequence of haemophilia is the development of arthropathy, initiated by a haemarthrosis giving rise to chronic synovitis. Traditional methods of synovectomy include open excision and arthroscopy each of which require substantial amounts of clotting factor concentrate for several weeks, and in the case of open synovectomy, is often associated with loss of range of motion and arthrofibrosis. Radiosynovectomy, the intra-articular injection of low penetration radiocolloids, has been utilized outside the United States for over 20 years. Since 1988, our centre has performed 170 radiosynovectomies utilizing 32P chromic phosphate (32P). This study reports results of 130 32P radiosyovectomies with an average follow-up of 36.5 months (6-140 months). For primary procedures, excellent and good results (haemarthrosis reduction from 75 to 100%) were obtained in 79.2% of cases at 6 months to 8 years. For repeat procedures a combination of excellent and good results were obtained in 62.4% of cases at 6 months to 3 years. Regression analysis showed no correlation between results and age or degree of arthropathy. Radiation was well contained within the joint. There were no observed or identified complications. The procedure is highly cost effective in comparison to open surgical or arthroscopic synovectomy.

The history of synoviorthesis in haemophilia

The history of synoviorthesis and recent studies have shown that it is a safe procedure and that the results are similar to those seen following open surgical and arthroscopic synovectomy. If the safety of this procedure is definitively proven in long-term studies it will become the procedure of choice for treatment of recurrent haemarthroses and synovitis. That is, until the time when the haematologists and geneticists eliminate the need for orthopaedic intervention in the care of persons with haemophilia.

Management of hemophilia in developing countries

Coagulation disorder are common in India. In the absence of any epidemiological studies it is expected that there are at least 50,000 severe hemophilics in our country. The factor concentrates are not easily available in developing countries which poses a major problem while managing severe bleeding episodes in these patients. Various strategies which could be useful while managing these cases in developing countries have been reviewed.