It has long been recognized that post-gonococcal arthritis may take one of two forms: disseminated gonococcemia with acute septic arthritis and a milder self limited disease with few systemic symptoms. The findings in this patient suggest that occult genitourinary gonococcal infection is a meaningful differential diagnosis in patients with unexplained mild arthritic symptoms.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Keiser H., Ruben F., Wolinsky E., et al. Clinical forms of gonococcal arthritis. N Engl J Med1968; 279:234-40.
2.
Keat A.Reiter's syndrome and reactive arthritis in perspective. N Engl J Med1983; 309:1606-15.
3.
Speer T., Rosenthal R., Fleming T., et al. Histological examination of experimental arthritis induced by gonococcal peptidoglycan. Br J Exp Pathol1987; 68:793-802.
4.
Mills J.Do bacteria cause chronic polyarthritis? N Engl J Med1989; 320:245.
5.
Brewerton D.Causes of arthritis. Lancet1988; 1:1063-5.
