Destructive arthritis of the wrist and palmoplantar pustulosis

The authors report a case of destructive arthritis of the right wrist occurring in a 29-year-old Algerian man, associated with palmoplantar pustulosis and HLA B27 antigen. Joint fluid and synovial biopsy were sterile and the course was favourable with surgical synovectomy and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Usually, arthritis associated with palmoplantar pustulosis is of the non-erosive type but cases of destructive arthritis have been reported. This condition is probably a new member of the seronegative spondylarthropathy group.