The arthritis of leukemia

Arthritis related to the primary disease was detected in 10 of 74 (13.5%) patients seen primarily for leukemia [2 of 12 patients with acute (16.6%) and 8 of 62 (12.4%) with chronic leukemia]. To these were added 18 additional patients previously diagnosed of having arthritis of leukemia. Clinical analyses of 28 patients with arthritis of leukemia showed that the arthritis of acute leukemia was commonly asymmetric, additive, polyarticular and often part of the initial manifestation of the disease. The arthritis of chronic leukemia was similar to the acute but was often symmetric and usually appeared as a late manifestation. X‐ray films of affected joints were abnormal in 7 patients. Mild hyperuricemia was found in 15.8%, rheumatoid factor in none and antinuclear antibodies in 11% of patients with arthritis of leukemia. Leukemic infiltration of the synovial membrane was found in all 3 of the patients who underwent synovial biopsy and is believed to be the cause of the arthritis.