Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on August 25, 2006
Rheumatology 2007 46(3):484-489; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kel268
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Poncet's disease: reactive arthritis accompanying tuberculosis. Two case reports and a review of the literature
1Department of Rheumatology, St Franciscus Hospital, Rotterdam and 2Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Correspondence to: R. J. E. M. Dolhain, MD, PhD, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Department of Rheumatology, Z-712, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: r.dolhain{at}erasmusmc.nl
| Abstract |
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Objective. Reactive arthritis (ReA) in tuberculosis (TB) is known as Poncet's disease. It is a rare aseptic form of arthritis observed in patients with active TB. We present two such patients and review the literature on Poncet's disease.
Methods. Two patients who were identified with Poncet's disease at the Department of Rheumatology of Erasmus MC, Rotterdam University Hospital, during the last 5 yrs are reported. In addition, a review of the literature on Poncet's disease is given: the PubMed/MEDLINE database was studied up to December 2005 using the term Poncet's disease and the terms arthritis, reactive and tuberculosis.
Results. After careful work-up, the polyarthritis and erythema nodosum in both presented patients with active TB could be diagnosed as Poncet's disease. Resolution of the arthritis with anti-TB drugs occurred in just a few days.
Reviewing the literature, 50 case reports were found. In most reports Poncet's disease was described as an aseptic polyarthritis, presumably ReA arthritis developing in the presence of active TB elsewhere. However, no uniform characterization of the term Poncet's disease could be abstracted from these reports.
Conclusion. Both presented patients and the review of the literature demonstrate that active TB may be complicated by ReA known as Poncet's disease. Early recognition of this rare complication of TB is of major importance to avoid delayed initiation of appropriate treatment.
KEY WORDS: Tuberculosis, Poncet's disease, Arthritis, Reactive
Submitted 3 February 2006;
revised version accepted 4 July 2006.
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