Infectious Arthritis
Last Sunday, we talked about one kind of infectious arthritis and that was Acute Suppurative Arthritis. Today, let us know about Gonococcal Arthritis and Syphilitic Joint Disease.
Gonococcal arthritis may develop 2 to 4 weeks after the initial infection and may involve one or several joints of the knees, ankles, wrists and sternoclavicular joints. This sternoclavicular joint is the most common site of involvement.
What happens in this disease? There will be a rapid destruction of the articular cartilage. Clinically, the following symptoms are present:
– pain in several joints
– fever
– body malaise
– inflammation and pain on motion of the involved joint
On the other hand, syphilitic joint disease has two types. These are:
1. Parrot’s syphilitic osteochondritis with the following details:
– this occurs in the first 3 months of life in infants with congenital syphilis
– the cartilage and bone undergo a gelatinous change then will disintegrate forming a greenish yellow fluid
– clinically, there will be swelling and pain of the juxta epiphyseal region
– if treatment is late, this will result in shortening and or asymmetrical deformities of the limb
2. Clutton’s joints with the following details:
– this is a late manifestation of congenital syphilis occurring in children between 6 and 16 years of age.
– there will be a painless symmetrical hydrarthrosis of the knees and sometimes of the elbows
– recovery is spontaneous within a few years with no permanent damage to the joint