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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffReactive arthritis is joint pain and swelling triggered by an infection in another part of your body — most often your intestines, genitals or urinary tract.
The joints in your knees, ankles and feet are the usual targets of reactive arthritis. Inflammation also may affect your eyes, skin and urethra when you have reactive arthritis.
Although reactive arthritis is sometimes called Reiter's syndrome, Reiter's is actually a specific type of reactive arthritis. In Reiter's, inflammation typically affects the eyes and urethra, as well as your joints.
Reactive arthritis isn't common. For most people, signs and symptoms of reactive arthritis come and go, eventually disappearing within 12 months.
- Lam GK, et al. Reactive arthritis. In: Imboden JB, et al. Current Rheumatology Diagnosis & Treatment. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2725203. Accessed Jan. 31, 2011.
- Yu DT. Reactive arthritis (formerly Reiter syndrome). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Questions and answers about reactive arthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Reactive_Arthritis/default.asp. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Yu DT, et al. Undifferentiated spondyloarthritis and reactive arthritis. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1807/0.html. Accessed Jan. 31, 2011.
- Septic arthritis. American Association for Clinical Chemistry. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/septic.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Questions and answers about gout. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/default.asp. Accessed Jan. 27, 2011.
- Carter JD, et al. Reactive arthritis: Clinical aspects and medical management. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2009;35:21.
- Wechalekar MD, et al. Prolonged remission of chronic reactive arthritis treated with three infusions of infliximab. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. 2010;16:79.
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