[Human parvovirus B19 infection in a child suffering from chronic arthritis]

The pathogenicity of the human parvovirus B19 has been disclosed in the last two decades. Different syndromes (erythema infectiosum or hydrops fetalis) can be produced by this virus as well as aplastic crisis in patients with haemolytic anaemia. It is a common infection both in adults and in children. The frequency of joint symptoms in erythema infectiosum is about 8% in childhood but tenfold of it in the adults. However, the arthropathy could be the only symptom without constitutional complains or rash. The joint problems used to be solved after some weeks in most cases but occasionally they could keep for some months or years. The disease is thought to be rheumatoid arthritis if the possibility of a parvovirus B19 infection has not been considered. In this paper the authors present a case report of a 14 years old boy with fever of unknown origin, skin eruptions and arthritis. On that connection, they discussed the recent knowledge about the human parvovirus B19 and refer to its importance in differential diagnosis of joint problems.