Chronic polyarthralgia in adults

Rheumatologists often see patients with musculoskeletal complaints who do not always have symptoms and findings that fit into recognized syndromes. Twenty-two such patients with chronic polyarthralgias, including eight with a positive test for ANA (anti-nuclear antibodies), seen over a seven-year period, did not meet criteria for classification or diagnosis of any recognized rheumatologic syndromes. The mean follow-up since onset of symptoms was 77.5 months (range, 13-276 months). During this time, none of the patients' conditions evolved into any previously recognized syndromes. This report on the study of these 22 patients emphasizes the existence of such patients and comments on their prognosis and treatment.