Clinical aspects of Reiter's disease

The clinical manifestations and results of investigations in a series of 221 patients diagnosed as suffering from Reiter's disease are described in detail. Attention is drawn to the very varied natural history of the disease, the relapse rate of 60% and the development of serious complications and disability in young people. The failure to establish the cause of the condition or to unravel its relationship to nonspecific urethritis and bacillary dysentery contrasts with the reported presence of the human leucocyte antigen HLA-B27 in 76% of patients. There is no curative treatment but symptomatic treatment will relieve pain and stiffness and may shorten the duration of individual attacks. Prolonged follow-up of established cases, monitoring of activity of the disease by regular measurements of the erythrocyte sedimentation test and prompt treatment of relapses may prevent the development of serious locomotor disability.