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From: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Reiter's Syndrome
Message-ID: <497@ptsfa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Mar-85 00:14:05 EST
Article-I.D.: ptsfa.497
Posted: Mon Mar  4 00:14:05 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Mar-85 04:22:39 EST
References: <1640@pur-phy.UUCP>
Reply-To: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo)
Distribution: net
Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco
Lines: 37
Summary: 

In article <1640@pur-phy.UUCP> clt@pur-phy.UUCP (Talmadge) writes:
>
>As I understand it, Reiter's Syndrome is a disease of the connective tissue
>of muscles.  If this isn't correct, or if anyone has anything to add, I'd
>be deeply obliged if they'd post something regarding the disease...
>
According to the Merck manual (which is basically a catalog of human disease):

			"REITER'S SYNDROME
	"Arthritis associated with nonbacterial urethritis and conjunctivitis,
usually seen in adult males following recent sexual exposure; it may also fol-
low an acute attack of unexplained diarrhea (dysentery). ... The syndrome seems
to be a response to infection with shigella or infectious agents transmitted
venereally (e.g chlamydia) in a genetically susceptible host."

The manual goes into too great detail to quote here. However, for treatment
it mentions anti-inflamatory agents (e.g. aspirin or indomethacin or phen-
ylbutazone), physical therapy during the recovery phase (the typical case
resolves in 3-4 months, but 50% of patients experience transient recurrences
over a period of several years). Corticosteroids not useful! Methotrexate or the
folic acid antagonists may lead to symptomatic improvement in patients with
severe illness, but they are toxic. Tetracycline may control the urethritis.

-- 


Rob Bernardo, Pacific Bell, San Francisco, California
{ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!ptsfa!rob

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