Arthritis, Reactive

National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

Synonyms

• Fiessinger-Leroy disease
• Reiter’s syndrome

Disorder Subdivisions

• None

General Discussion

Reactive arthritis is a general term for a form of joint inflammation (arthritis) that develops as a "reaction" to an infection in another area of the body (i.e., outside of the joints). Joint inflammation is characterized by redness, swelling, pain and warmth in and around the affected joint. In reactive arthritis, the joints of the lower limbs are most often affected. Two other common symptoms of reactive arthritis are inflammation of the urinary tract and inflammation of the membrane (conjunctiva) that lines the eyelids (conjunctivitis). These three characteristic symptoms may occur separately, all at once or not at all. Additional symptoms such as fever, weight loss, lower back pain and heel pain may also occur. Reactive arthritis usually develops following a bout with certain bacterial infections including Chlamydia, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and Campylobacter.

Reactive arthritis belongs to a group of related disorders known as the spondyloarthropathies. These disorders are linked by the association of similar symptoms and a specific genetic marker called HLA-B27. Symptoms common to these disorders include arthritis, especially of the lower limbs, lower back pain and enthesitis, a condition characterized by inflammation at the spot where skeletal muscle attaches to bone. This group of disorders includes reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, undifferentiated spondyloarthritis and spondyloarthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

Reactive arthritis is a poorly defined disorder that has been described in the medical literature under many different names. No precise diagnostic or classification criteria have been developed that are universally agreed upon in the medical community.

Resources

Spondylitis Association of America
P.O. Box 5972
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
USA
Tel: (818)892-1616
Fax: (818)892-1611
Tel: (800)777-8189
Email: info@spondylitis.org
Internet: http://www.spondylitis.org

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
15475 Gratiot Avenue
Detroit, MI 48205
Tel: (586)776-3900
Fax: (586)776-3903
Tel: (800)598-4668
Email: aarda@aarda.org
Internet: http://www.aarda.org/

Arthritis Foundation
1314 Spring Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30309
USA
Tel: (404)965-7627
Tel: (800)283-7800
Email: arthritisfoundation@arthritis.org
Internet: http://www.arthritis.org

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.
90 John St.
Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
Tel: (212)819-9770
Fax: (212)819-9776
Email: pmalone@siecus.org
Internet: http://www.siecus.org

Center for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
Tel: (404)639-3534
Tel: (800)232-4636
TDD: (888)232-6348
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/

Arthritis Society
393 University Avenue
Suite 1700
Toronto
Ontario, Intl M5G IE6
Canada
Tel: (416) 979-7228
Fax: (416) 979-8366
Tel: (800) 321-1433
Email: info@arthritis.ca
Internet: http://www.arthritis.ca

NIH/NationaI Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Information Clearinghouse
One AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
USA
Tel: (301)495-4484
Fax: (301)718-6366
Tel: (877)226-4267
TDD: (301)565-2966
Email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation
5 Cambridge Center
8th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel: (617)621-6377
Fax: (781)431-2042
Tel: (866)353-6377
Email: fosters@comcast.net
Internet: http://www.uveitis.org

MUMS National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay, WI 54301-1243
USA
Tel: (920)336-5333
Fax: (920)339-0995
Tel: (877)336-5333
Email: mums@netnet.net
Internet: http://www.netnet.net/mums/

Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
Tel: (301)251-4925
Fax: (301)251-4911
Tel: (888)205-2311
TDD: (888)205-3223
Email: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/EmailForm.aspx
Internet: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD

Madisons Foundation
PO Box 241956
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel: (310)264-0826
Fax: (310)264-4766
Email: getinfo@madisonsfoundation.org
Internet: http://www.madisonsfoundation.org

Autoimmune Information Network, Inc
PO Box 4121
Brick, NJ 08723
Tel: (732)664-9259
Fax: (732)543-7285
Email: autoimmunehelp@aol.com
Internet: http://www.aininc.org

KickAS.org
11688 North Sage Brook Road
Oro Valley, AZ 85737-7342
Tel: (520)544-3023
Fax: (520)544-3023
Email: kickas@gmail.com
Internet: http://www.kickas.org

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.

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This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.

For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org

Last Updated:  3/4/2010
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