Reiter’s syndrome: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Reiter’s syndrome is an inflammatory disease that causes inflammation of the joints and tendons, mainly in the knees, ankles and feet, occurring in response to a bacterial infection in another part of the body.

In addition to the joints, Reiter’s syndrome, also called reactive arthritis, can also affect the eyes, the genitourinary system and, in rarer cases, the gastrointestinal system, being more common in people between 20 and 40 years old.

Reiter’s syndrome has no cure, however, there are some treatments that can be recommended by a rheumatologist to control and alleviate symptoms, such as physiotherapy, to strengthen the muscles around the affected joint, and the use of antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory drugs. inflammatory.

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of Reiter syndrome are:

• Joint pain;
• Stiffness in the joints at rest, improving when performing physical activity;
• Inflammation of ligaments and tendons;
• Backache;
• Swelling of the fingers, called dactylitis;
• Pain when urinating;
• There may be inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) or the cervix (cervicitis);
• Conjunctivitis, uveitis and keratitis;
• Appearance of wounds that do not cause pain in the mouth, tongue or genital organ;
• Skin lesions on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands;
• Presence of yellow dirt under the fingernails and toenails;
• Fever, weight loss and general malaise.

The symptoms of Reiter syndrome vary from person to person, so they may not be present simultaneously. Furthermore, they may disappear after 3 to 4 months and reappear after a few weeks.

Online symptom test

Reiter’s syndrome, or reactive arthritis, is considered an inflammatory arthritis. To find out the chance of having inflammatory arthritis, please select the symptoms you present:

This test is only a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis or replace a medical consultation.

Possible causes

Reiter’s syndrome can be caused by bacteria from the genitourinary tract, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma genitalium e Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Furthermore, it can also be caused by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, such as Shigella flexneri, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejuni e Escherichia coli.

How the diagnosis is made

The diagnosis of Reiter’s syndrome must be made by a rheumatologist based on the assessment of the symptoms presented by the person and the results of blood tests, X-rays, gynecological examinations, in the case of women, or analysis of synovial fluid.

What is the treatment like?

Treatment for Reiter’s syndrome must be guided by a rheumatologist. If the infection responsible for the disease is active, the doctor may recommend the use of antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or ciprofloxacin, and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the symptoms of Reiter’s syndrome.

In addition, it is also recommended to undergo physical therapy to regain movement in inflamed joints and reduce pain. In more serious cases, it may be necessary to use immunosuppressive medications, such as methotrexate and cyclosporine to reduce joint inflammation.

Is Reiter’s syndrome curable?

In general, Reiter’s syndrome can be cured within 6 to 12 months. However, in some cases symptoms may persist for a longer period of time or may reappear.