Symmetric polyarthritis associated with heterophile-negative infectious mononucleosis

✍ Scribed by Leonard H. Sigal; Allen C. Steere; James C. Niederman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 312 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780260416

✦ Synopsis

Arthritis is a rare complication of infectious mononucleosis (1); only a few cases have been previously reported (2-4). We describe a patient referred to the Yale Rheumatology Clinic because of symmetric polyarthritis; his joint involvement lasted 4% months. Serologic studies supported the diagnosis of heterophile-negative infectious mononucleosis.

CASE REPORT

On September 4, 1981, a 28-year-old truck driver developed fever, chills, sore throat, nausea, abdominal pain, anorexia, and malaise, which increased in seventy over the next week. In the second week he experienced sudden, severe pain in his shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles over a 24-hour period. Joint pain and stiffness persisted throughout the day, increased with inactivity, and interrupted his sleep at night. In addition, he experienced constant frontal headache and neck stiffness, together with mild mental confusion and memory loss.

Physical examination on September 25, 1981 revealed marked pain on motion of shoulders and knees, without joint swelling, warmth, or redness. His