During a 6-month period in 1994-1995, 0.7% of patient visits (51 visits of 47 patients) at the emergency unit of the Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, were due to joint symptoms. Infection seemed to play an important role as the etiologic factor for the joint complaints. Acute joint exacerbation in pre-existing arthritis was the reason for 11.7%, and suspected Baker's cyst for 3.9% of the visits. Confirmed (12.8%) or suspected reactive arthritis (10.6%), septic arthritis/spondylitis (6.4%), arthritis with inflammatory bowel disease (6.4%), and gout (14.9%) were the most common final diagnoses for the patients. In a quarter of the patients, the etiology for joint symptoms could not be confirmed. In conclusion, joint symptoms very seldom lead to visits to an emergency unit. In such cases, infection seems to be an important contributing factor. Patients with chronic rheumatic diseases only occasionally have to seek help at an emergency unit.