[Reiter's syndrome: the clinico-histomorphological correlations]

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Pathology
• Histology

Background:

• Reiter's syndrome, also known as reactive arthritis, is a form of inflammatory arthritis.
• Synovial membrane pathology is central to the joint manifestations of this condition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To histomorphologically analyze synovial membrane changes in patients with Reiter's syndrome.
• To correlate these histological findings with clinical symptoms and disease progression.

Main Methods:

• Puncture biopsy of the knee joint synovial membrane was performed on 11 patients.
• Histopathological examination focused on cellular infiltration, edema, and fibrosis.

Main Results:

• Early disease stages revealed hyperemia, edema, and infiltration by neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasmacytes.
• Later disease stages were characterized by diffuse/focal lymphocytic and plasmacytic infiltrates, and increased fibrocyte counts.
• Clinical symptoms like pain and joint induration correlated significantly with histomorphological findings of hyperemia, edema, and fibrosis.

Conclusions:

• Synovial membrane histology in Reiter's syndrome evolves with disease progression.
• Histopathological changes, including inflammation and fibrosis, are directly linked to clinical presentation and severity.