ARTHRITIS-GONOCOCCAL

SUMMARY

1. Pregnancy and menstruation are predisposing factors for disseminated gonorrhea. Consider in the adolescent with knee pain.

2. Patients with deficiency of terminal complement components are also at high risk.

3. Presentation: fever, migratory polyarthritis, tenosynovitis, and dermatitis (red papules that become pustular).

4. Joint aspirate may be sterile, adequate cultures require direct plating of the specimen on Thayer-Martin ("chocolate") agar or PCR.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].