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Reactive arthritis due to Chlamydia psittaci associated with HLA-B27 genotype

Peter N Gonski and Bobby Chan
Med J Aust 2009; 190 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02600.x
Published online: 1 June 2009

To the Editor: We report a case of reactive arthritis with an unusual cause in a previously well 47-year-old male landscape gardener. The patient presented with acute onset of left ankle arthritis. He had a 10-day history of a productive cough associated with mild fever, back pain and arthralgias. His temperature was 37.7°C and occasional crackles were audible at the lung bases. His left ankle was tender, with decreased range of movement. The provisional diagnosis was atypical pneumonia with reactive arthritis.


  • Sutherland Hospital, Sydney, NSW.



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  • 5. Clegg DO, Reda DJ, Weisman MH, et al. Comparison of sulfasalazine and placebo in the treatment of reactive arthritis (Reiter’s syndrome). A Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study. Arthritis Rheum 1996; 39: 2021-2027.

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