VIRAL ARTHRITIS

Course overview

ACUTE-ONSET POLYARTICULAR ARTHRITIS IS THE MOST COMMON PRESENTATION OF VIRAL ARTHRITIS. THE MOST COMMONLY IMPLICATED VIRUSES ARE PARVOVIRUS, THE ALPHAVIRUSES, HEPATITIS B, HEPATITIS C, EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS, AND TROPICAL VIRUSES SUCH AS THE ZIKA VIRUS AND THE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS. THE DIAGNOSIS OF VIRAL ARTHRITIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN ALL PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH ACUTE-ONSET POLYARTICULAR SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH VIRUSES CAUSE ONLY A SMALL PROPORTION OF CASES OF ACUTE ARTHRITIS, THE DIFFERENTIATION OF VIRALLY-MEDIATED ARTHRITIS FROM PRIMARY RHEUMATOLOGICAL DISEASE IS IMPORTANT AS IT INFLUENCES SUBSEQUENT MANAGEMENT. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN VIRAL ARTHRITIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO EVALUATE IT PROPERLY. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.