[Comparative clinical characteristics of rheumatic and reactive arthritis]

The difficulties encountered in differential diagnosis of rheumatic and reactive arthritides are caused by the similarity of the articular syndrome not infrequently seen in both diseases, especially in their acute phases, a high frequency of little manifest forms of rheumocarditis and the rarity of other main manifestations of rheumatic fever as well as by a possibility of myocardial derangement in reactive arthritides. At the same time of paramount diagnostic importance are a detailed study of the disease history, estimation of the epidemic situation, careful clinical assessment of the character and evolution of the articular syndrome, the signs of lesions of the heart, other organs and symptoms, recognition of the symptoms characteristic for diseases of the group of seronegative spondylarthropathies, particularly Reiter's syndrome.