Therapeutic effects of radiosynovectomy, effectiveness of P-32 in treatment of chronic hemophilic synovitis

Radiation synovectomy using different types of radioisotopes is becoming an appropriate cost-effective option in treatment of different inflammatory joint diseases especially when standard treatment methods fail. This approach is applied for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic joint disease, pigmented villonodular synovitis and hemophiliac arthropathy. Several beta emitters are used depending on underlying pathology and joint size. P-32 has been one of the first radioisotopes used but because of radiation concerns other agents namely yttrium Y 90, dysprosium Dy 165, erbium Er 169, strontium Sr 153 hydroxyapatite, holmium Ho 166, and rhenium Re 186 has been used experimentally and in clinical practice. P-32 chromic phosphate however still remains one of the choices for treatment of haemophilic arthropathies. In this presentation, different options of radiation synovectomy and effectiveness of P32 in treatment of chronic haemophilic synovitis are discussed.