[Reiter's syndrome--analysis of 187 patients]

The study included 187 patients with positive diagnosis of Reiter's syndrome (RS) examined and treated in the Clinic of Rheumatology of Military Medical Academy in the period of 26 years (1970-1995). There were 176 males and 11 females (16:1) aged from 12 to 65 (average age 28.5) years. The disease diagnosis was made upon the clinical finding of at least two of four RS main features: acute urogenital or enteral infection, arthritis, ophthalmic and mucocutaneous changes. Family disease occurrence was noticed in 5, and juvenile type in 6 patients. HLA-B27 antigen was present in 81.5% patients. In 74.3% patients the urogenital disease type was determined, in 18.2% enterocolitic and in 7.5% initial causative agent was not discovered. Three or two RS main signs were present in approximately same number of patients (42.2% and 42.6%) while all the four disease signs were found in 15% patients. Acute or subacute course was found in 43.8%, recurrent in 34.2% and chronic in 22% patients. Clinically, the disease was revealed in locomotor system, most frequently as the asymmetric oligoartritis localized in lower extremities. Sacroiliac arthritis, partial or more frequently asymmetric mutual, radiologically confirmed, was present in 18.2% patients. Only one patient was with sacroiliitis without peripheral arthritis, pain in heel was present in 31.5%, and dactilitis, more frequently in the feet, in 13.9% patients. Radiological changes were found in 51.8% patients, most frequently in sacroiliac joints and heel bone. Chlamydia trachomatis or genital mycoplasma were isolated in synovial fluid of 33.3% (6/18) patients. The most frequent urogenital change was urethritis (56.7), ophthalmic--conjunctivitis (46.5), and mucocutaneous--balanitis (12.3). Positive damage of heart and kidneys by primary disease was found in 2, i.e. 4 patients, and possible in 7, i.e. 14 patients. No differences in RS clinical demonstration among sexes were observed. Besides conventional therapy, in only 26 (13.9%) patients were applied drugs out of the basic group, so as the radiation synovectomy and surgical methods of treatment.