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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 13
| Issue : 3 | Page : 211 |
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Branding in rheumatoid arthritis: A harmful practice
Prasanta Padhan, Ipsita Mohanty
Department of Rheumatology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| Date of Web Publication | 21-Aug-2018 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Prasanta Padhan
Department of Rheumatology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar - 751 024, Odisha
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/injr.injr_11_18
How to cite this article:
Padhan P, Mohanty I. Branding in rheumatoid arthritis: A harmful practice. Indian J Rheumatol 2018;13:211 |
Dear Editor,
Branding refers to the traditional practice of therapeutic third-degree burns produced by hot iron rods over skin for the treatment of various medical conditions. We recently observed multiple partially healed linear scars over knee joints in a 42-year-female with rheumatoid arthritis, as a result of this unscientific practice [Figure 1]. In several Asian and African countries where traditional medicine is still widely prevalent, branding is used. These ancient methods are crude and inhuman, causing the treatment to be more unbearable than the original complaint, and carry the risk of complications. Branding as a method of treatment is employed for several diseases including jaundice, abdominal pain, convulsions, paralysis, and arthritis as in the present case.[1]
In spite of major advances in medicine, crude and harmful methods of heeling like branding are still prevalent all over, especially among illiterate and poor people. It can cause acute infection, allergic reactions, and sequelae arising from third-degree burns.[1],[2]
Declaration of patient consent
The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient(s) has/have given his/her/their consent for his/her/their images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patients understand that their names and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Raza S, Mahmood K, Hakeem A, Polsky S, Haemel A, Rai S, et al. Adverse clinical sequelae after skin branding: A case series. J Med Case Rep 2009;3:25.  [ PUBMED] |
| 2. | Mehta MH, Anand JS, Mehta L, Modha HC, Patel RV. Neonatal branding – Towards branding eradication. Indian Pediatr 1992;29:788-9. |
[Figure 1]
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