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Gonococcal arthritis - Overview

Alternative Names

Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI)

Definition of Gonococcal arthritis:

Gonococcal arthritis is inflammation of a joint (usually just one) due to a gonorrhea infection.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Gonococcal arthritis is a bacterial infection of a joint. It occurs in people who have gonorrhea. It affects women four times more often than men, and is most common among sexually active adolescent girls.

Two forms of gonococcal arthritis exist:

One involves skin rashes and multiple joints, usually large joints such as the knee, wrist, and ankle
The second, less common form involves disseminated gonococcemia, which leads to infection of a single joint

Gonoccocal arthritis

Reviewed last on: 12/3/2007
D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Update to CDC's sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006: fluoroquinolones no longer recommended for treatment of gonococcal infections. MMWR. 2007;56(14):332-336.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for gonorrhea: recommendation statement. Ann Fam Physician. 2005;3(3):263-267.

Cohen J, Powderly WG. Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2004:2173-2186.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2004. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, September 2005.

Weinstock H, Berman S, Cates W. Sexually transmitted disease among American youth: Incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2004;36:6-10.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2002. MMWR. 2002;51(no. RR-6):1-78.

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