reactive arthritis

Question 1

What is reactive arthritis?

Answer 1

An inflammatory arthritis that occurs after exposure to certain gastrointestinal and genitourinary infections.

Question 2

What are the signs and symptoms of reactive arthritis?

Answer 2

peripheral arthritis

axial arthritis

constitutional symptoms

enthesitis

mucous membrane involvement

skin rash

Question 3

What are the risk factors of reactive arthritis?

Answer 3

male sex
HLA-B27 genotype
preceding chlamydial or GI infection

Question 4

What is the epidemiology of reactive arthritis?

Answer 4

The prevalence is thought to be 30 to 40 cases per 100,000 adults,
Annual incidence of 4.6 per 100,000 for Chlamydia-induced arthritis.
5 per 100,000 for enterobacteria-induced arthritis.

Question 5

What investigations would you do for reactive arthritis?

Answer 5

Blood
> ESR (high)
> CRP (high)
> ANA (neg)
> Rh factor (neg)

Urogenital and stool culture (neg)

Plain X rays (sacroiliitis or enthesopathy)

Arthrocentesis (neg)