Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Intramuscular Triamcinolone Acetonide and Triamcinolone Diacetate.

The results of a study (Zuckner, 1961) evaluating the therapeutic response of intra-articularly administered triamcinolone acetonide* (hereafter referred to as TActn) and triamcinolone diacetate* (TDac) suggested that large doses of these hormones had a profound systemic effect. The injection of either of these hormones in a dose of 100 mg. into a knee joint affected by rheumatoid arthritis resulted in a generalized anti-inflammatory response, including improvement in other inflamed joints as well as that injected. This generalized improvement usually persisted for 2 to 3 weeks. These favourable findings led to further study with these steroids, utilizing the more practical intramuscular route of administration.