[Twenty-three cases of gonococcal arthritis (author's transl)]

Twenty-three cases of gonococcal arthritis involving 10 men and 13 women aged from 18-81 years (mean, 32 years) are reported. Seven of the men had developed urethritis 3 to 21 days previously. Seven of the women had no signs or symptoms of genital infection. Twelve patients presented with polyarticular lesions and 7 with monoarticular lesions heralded by migratory arthralgias. The joints most commonly affected were the knees, fingers, wrists and ankles. Ten patients had tenosynovitis of the flexor muscles of fingers, and 10 exhibited a skin rash suggestive of the condition. Haemocultures were positive for N.gonorrhoeae in 4 out of 12 patients. The organism was isolated from synovial fluid in 7/11 cases and from urethral and vaginal secretions in 9/20 cases. All patients were cured rapidly and without sequelae with penicillin or ampicillin.