[Diagnostic strategy in rheumatology].

Nowadays, rheumatology is primarily understood as arthrology. In special diagnostics at first an articular process is to be ascertained or excluded, the arthralgia is to be separated from the objectifyable arthritic syndrome and this must be more enclosed by simple findings of the anamnesis and the physical examination. The tentative diagnosis which is present after this already in the vast majority of cases must be confirmed by aimed laboratory and X-ray diagnostics. Some guiding principles concerning the X-ray examination, state and perspectives of articular scintigraphy, arthroscopy, thermography and relevant genetic research are reported.