Table 2 Frequency of diagnoses formulated by the general practitioner to justify referral (n = 357)

Rheumatoid arthritis

98 (27.5%)

Systemic lupus erythematosus

55 (15.4%)

Undifferentiated arthralgia

41 (11.5%)

Unspecified inflammatory disease

23 (6.4%)

Osteoarthritis

18 (5.0%)

Fibromyalgia

16 (4.5%)

Psoriatic arthritis

15 (4.2%)

Ankylosing spondylitis

15 (4.2%)

Sjögren’s syndrome

9 (2.5%)

Non-specific rheumatism

9 (2.5%)

Gout

6 (1.7%)

Systemic sclerosis

5 (1.4%)

Laboratory abnormalities

4 (1.1%)

Other diseases

43 (12.0%)