BMJ 1994;308:1302-1303 (14 May)

Letters

Reactive arthritis May develop in patients with HIV infection

EDITOR, - B Svenungsson's editorial on reactive arthritis fails to draw attention to the fact that the disease may develop in patients with HIV infection and AIDS.1 Arthritis in patients infected with HIV is usually septic and caused by a variety of secondary pathogens, although bacterial septic arthritis is more commonly encountered.2 Reactive arthritis has also been described in AIDS, with HIV being isolated from the synovial fluid.3 Patients infected with HIV are more prone to acquire several sexually transmitted infections or even enteric infections, some of which could potentially evoke a reactive arthritis. In case of reactive arthritis clinicians need to be aware of the possibility of HIV infection as this may have implications not only in the management of the arthritis but also for staff handling specimens from these patients.

Another debatable issue is the use of intrarticular steroids to treat sexually acquired reactive arthritis. Since the detection . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Reactive arthritis
B Svenungsson
BMJ 1994 308: 671-672. [Extract] [Full Text]

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