Neşe ÇABUK ÇELİK, Arif BABAYİĞİT, Fatih ALBAYRAK, Ali ŞAHİN
Rheumatology Quarterly - 2026;4(2):117-123
Objective: Joint pain is a frequent complaint in clinical practice, often affecting patients' quality of life. Differentiating between inflammatory rheumatological diseases and non-inflammatory causes, such as osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia, is essential for proper management. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of inflammatory rheumatological diagnoses in patients presenting with joint pain and to assess their demographic characteristics. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted on 2732 patients who visited the rheumatology outpatient clinic between October 20, 2023, and August 20, 2025, and whose primary ICD-10 diagnosis was joint pain (M25.5). Only first-time visits were included. Secondary diagnoses were used to classify patients into 2 groups: inflammatory rheumatological and non-inflammatory rheumatological. Data were analyzed using Excel and IBM SPSS v25. The Mann-Whitney U-test and chi-square test were used for age and gender comparisons, respectively. Results: Of the patients, 29.4% (n = 803) were diagnosed with inflammatory rheumatological diseases, while 70.6% (n = 1.929) had non-inflammatory conditions. The mean age was 52.6 +/- 13.3 years in the inflammatory group and 54.8 +/- 12.9 years in the non-rheumatological group (P < .001). Female patients comprised 78% of the total population, with a significant gender difference between the 2 groups (P < .001). Conclusion: Nearly one-third of patients with joint pain referred to rheumatology received an inflammatory rheumatological diagnosis. These findings may inform clinical triage, improve early diagnosis, and contribute to more efficient healthcare utilization.
