Case Report

Poststreptococcal Reactive Arthritis with Thoracic Spine Involvement in an Adult

ALEXANDRA ALEXOPOULOU, SPYROS P. DOURAKIS, NIKOLAOS D. STAMOULIS, DIMITRIOS VASSILOPOULOS, and ATHANASIOS J. ARCHIMANDRITIS

ABSTRACT.

It is controversial whether poststreptococcal reactive arthritis (PSReA) is an entity separate from acute rheumatic fever (ARF) or is a forme fruste of ARF. Although there are many case series of PSReA in children, this entity is not common in adults. We describe an adult patient with polyarthritis and thoracic spine involvement attributed to PSReA. (J Rheumatol 2005;32:2002-5)

Key Indexing Terms:

POSTSTREPTOCOCCAL REACTIVE ARTHRITIS
THORACIC SPINE INVOLVEMENT
GROUP A BETA-HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCUS

---

From the 2nd Department of Medicine, University of Athens Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

A. Alexopoulou, MD; S.P. Dourakis, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.D. Stamoulis, MD; D. Vassilopoulos, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; A.J. Archimandritis, Professor of Medicine.

Address reprint requests to Dr. A. Alexopoulou, 20 N. Politi St., 16346 Athens, Greece. E-mail: alexopou@ath.forthnet.gr

Accepted for publication May 30, 2005.

---