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Human parvovirus B-19: not just a pediatric problem
1Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21229.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Human parvovirus B-19 (HPV B-19) causes fifth disease in children. Later research linked HPV B-19 to adult polyarthropathy, a condition often mistaken for other joint disorders.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Parvoviruses are known for causing severe animal diseases.
- Human parvovirus B-19 (HPV B-19) was identified in 1975.
- HPV B-19 is the established cause of erythema infectiosum (fifth disease) in children.
Observation:
- Erythema infectiosum presents with characteristic "slapped cheek" rash in children.
- Further research in the 1980s revealed more severe clinical manifestations of HPV B-19 infection.
- Adult polyarthropathy emerged as a significant, often overlooked, clinical syndrome linked to HPV B-19.
Findings:
- HPV B-19 infection can manifest as polyarthropathy in adults.
- This adult presentation is frequently misdiagnosed, resembling other symmetric polyarthropathies.
- The prevalence of HPV B-19-induced polyarthropathy in adults may be underestimated.
Implications:
- Increased awareness of HPV B-19 as a cause of adult polyarthropathy is crucial.
- Early recognition aids in appropriate conservative management.
- Emergency physicians should consider HPV B-19 in the differential diagnosis of adult polyarthropathy.