title: Clinical features of meningococcal arthritis: a report of four cases.
abstract: Four patients with Neisseria meningitidis infection complicated by arthritis are described. Three patients had an acute polyarthritis which responded quickly to antimicrobial therapy. A fourth patient developed a prolonged arthritis which occurred after the initial infection had been successfully treated. Tenosynovitis occurred as a complication in one case. Attention is drawn to possible confusion with gonococcal infection, and postulated pathological mechanisms are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis; D009520:New Zealand