Jaccoud arthropathy: a rarity in the spectrum of HIV-associated arthropathy

Abstract

In studies comparing HIV-infected patients with HIV-negative patients, rheumatic manifestations, including reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, myalgia, tendinitis, fibromyalgia, necrotizing vasculitis, polymyositis, Sjogren syndrome, were shown to occur more frequently in the HIV-positive group. Uncommon clinical features and the demonstration of HIV antigens in the synovial membranes suggest a direct role of HIV in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated rheumatic disease. Jaccoud arthropathy is a nonerosive deforming arthropathy reported to occur in cases of chronic rheumatic fever and systemic lupus erythematosus. Only two cases of HIV-associated Jaccoud arthropathy has been reported in the literature thus far, both in patients with features of reactive arthritis. We report a case of HIV-associated Jaccoud arthropathy in a patient without features of reactive arthropathy.