Manifestations of Chlamydia induced arthritis in patients with silent versus symptomatic urogenital chlamydial infection.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether Chlamydia-infected patients with and without urogenital symptoms have similar rheumatological manifestations or whether they belong to distinct clinical groups.
METHODS: In a university-based study, we examined patients with unexplained arthritis in whom other rheumatic diseases had been excluded for urogenital chlamydial infection, and we investigated the clinical and radiological manifestations of the Chlamydia-positive patients.
RESULTS: Sixty of 283 patients (21%) with unexplained arthritis had urogenital chlamydial infection. The infection was asymptomatic in 30%. There was no difference in the pattern of arthritis or immunological and serological characteristics in the patients with and without symptoms of urogenital infection, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The pattern of Chlamydia-induced arthritis is similar in patients with or without symptoms of urogenital chlamydial infection. To recognize CIA, it may be helpful to examine patients with unexplained arthritis for Chlamydia even though they do not have symptoms of urogenital infection.