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 …