Yersinia Arthritis in Children

Over a 10-year period 37 children were hospitalized with infections of Yersinia enterocolitica III, IX or Yersinia pseudotuberculosis IA. The diagnosis was based on elevated antibody titres against these micro-organisms. Thirteen of the children had reactive arthritis caused by Yersinia. The duration of arthritis in the primary phase varied between 3 and 22 months, the average being 6.5 months. Two patients developed persistent arthritis. chemical synovectomy with osmic acid was performed in 3 children because of persistent synovitis in the knee joint. All 3 became asymptomatic after this therapy. The follow-up study of the patients with arthritis was performed after an average period of 4 years 7 months. The histocompatibility antigen HLA-B27 was found in 11 of the 13 children. This group included both patients with chronic arthritis and the 3 synovectomized children. Reactive arthritis in this material was a common, serious complication in an otherwise benign infection.