Medical management of wrist and hand inflammatory conditions: A literature review

Differential diagnosis for inflammatory arthritis of the hands includes infectious processes and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and crystalline arthritis, among others. As medical management of the inflammatory arthritis is (a) targeted to the specific disease and severity of the symptoms, (b) posed with diagnostic dilemmas due to overlap in presentation, and (c) adversely affected by incorrect treatment which may further complicate the diagnosis and outcomes, reaching the correct diagnosis is pivotal towards appropriate management. Medical management may span from antibiotics, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, to immunosuppressive medications (conventional synthetic DMARDs and biologic agents). Herein we discuss the medical management of the most clinically relevant inflammatory arthritides involving the hand.