[Arthritis in mucoviscidosis. 4 new cases and review of the literature]

Abstract

Arthritis in mucoviscidosis has been described as aseptic arthritis with the picture of oligo or polyarticular intermittent rheumatism, independent of the pulmonary course of the disease, often accompanied by skin signs, sometimes in the form of vasculitis, and without radiological signs. Chronic forms with the presence of rheumatoid factor and/or radiological signs have also been described. The authors found 4 cases of arthritis (incidence 2%) in a retrospective study of 208 patients with mucoviscidosis. These included one case of typical intermittent rheumatism, one of chronic arthritis of the wrist with positive rheumatoid factor, one case associated with purpura, the course of which was linked to pulmonary secondary infections, and one case of polyarthritis with spinal pain which was difficult to classify. Arthritis in mucoviscidosis appears to be a clinically heterogeneous entity, the pathophysiology of which could involve various immune reactions, secondary to a chronic bacterial stimulus of bronchopulmonary origin.