Clinical and laboratory studies of arthritis in leprosy.
Arthritis associated with leprosy is underreported. In Egypt 66 patients from a leprosy colony were studied, 20 of whom had arthropathy. This was characterised by an inflammatory symmetrical peripheral polyarthritis. The wrist, metacarpal and proximal interphalangeal joints of the hands, the knees, and the metatarsophalangeal joints of the feet were affected with associated morning stiffness. The arthritis was erosive in 11 out of 20 patients, had no features of the arthritis associated with erythema nodosum leprosum reactions, but symptomatically responded to antileprosy treatment. This arthritis would seem to be a previously unrecognised feature of leprosy.
Atkin
S L
SL
Department of Radiology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne.
el-Ghobarey
A
A
Kamel
M
M
Owen
J P
JP
Dick
W C
WC
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001175:Arthrography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins