Objective: To study the clinical features of Reiter's syndrome (RS) in children.
Method: Twenty-two patients with RS were referred to our department between August 2002 and September 2008. Their clinical features were analyzed retrospectively.
Result: Of the 22 patients, 19 were male, only 3 were female. Age ranged from 4 to 14 years, and the average was 10.7 years, most patients (20/22) were older than eight. Among their relatives, 2 had ankylosing spondylitis, 4 had undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy or presented with a history of inflammatory low back pain, and 2 had psoriasis. The season of onset of all patients was summer months from June to September every year. Ten had a history of diarrhea within 1 month preceding the symptoms of arthritis. Twenty-one had fever at the onset. Conjunctivitis occurred in 20 patients, only one was complicated with uveitis. Urethral symptoms occurred in 12 patients, and another 3 patients had abnormal results of urine analysis only. Synovitis occurred in all cases, most of whom had oligoarthritis, predominantly affecting large joints of the lower limbs in an asymmetric pattern with enthesitis occurred in 9. Balanitis circinata was common in male patients (10/19). Elevated inflammatory indicators such as white blood cell, neutrophil, platelet, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, immunoglobulins and serum complement C3 were common during the acute illness. All of the 22 cases were negative for rheumatoid factor and 16 (72.7%) were HLA-B27 positive. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and sulfasalazine were the mainstay of treatment. Cyclophosphamide was used in 14 patients (total doses 0.6 - 2.0 g), in 4 cases methotrexate was added. Corticosteroids were added in 4 patients and cyclosporine was given to the patient complicated with uveitis. Most patients achieved full remission within 6 months.
Conclusion: RS is common in children with clinical features different from those in adults and a relatively good prognosis.