Terminations of treatment with gold sodium thiomalate in rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment terminations with gold sodium thiomalate (GST) in 200 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were analyzed using the life table method. The termination rate was 27% at 6 months, 48% at 12 months and 84% at 48 months. The major reason for termination was mucocutaneous reaction. Pretreatment clinical and laboratory status of the RA did not influence terminations significantly. Concurrent administration of oral corticosteroids had no significant effect on gold terminations. Complete control of synovitis was achieved in 38% of patients by a median time of 6 months but sustained for greater than 12 months in only 19%.