title: Theodore Roosevelt's inflammatory rheumatism.
abstract: Theodore Roosevelt's death at age 60 was probably caused by a pulmonary embolus, but it was preceded by a 2 1/2-month illness described as inflammatory rheumatism. He had intermittent fever and acute arthritis in several joints leading to hospitalization and enforced bed rest for 6 weeks. The details of his illness and its possible etiology are reviewed. Inflammatory rheumatism was a descriptive term within which several modern diagnoses might be included. Although it is not possible to identify Roosevelt's illness with any certainty, it was most compatible with polyarticular gout, although reactive arthritis, rheumatic fever, and several other diagnoses cannot be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Research, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, P.O. Box 19, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA. pinalsrs@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pinals
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000266:history; D015210:Arthritis, Gouty / Q000150:complications*; D005197:Famous Persons; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005334:Fever; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000266:history; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000266:history / Q000276:immunology