Infectious Arthritis (Cont.)

Symptoms of Infectious Arthritis

Any joint can be affected by infectious arthritis. Yet the specific symptoms of infectious arthritis (along with their severity) will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • The age of the person
  • The joint or joints involved
  • The specific cause (i.e., bacterial, viral, or fungal)
  • Other conditions the person may have.
     
For example, a person with septic arthritis may have an extremely painful hip or knee with significant swelling. A person with gonococcal arthritis may have pain in multiple joints with an unexplained rash. A person with fungal arthritis may have mild joint discomfort in one joint.
 
(Click Infectious Arthritis Symptoms for more information about the specific symptoms associated with each type of infectious arthritis.)
 

Infectious Arthritis Diagnosis

There is no one specific test that can be used for diagnosing infectious arthritis. Therefore, in order to make a diagnosis of infectious arthritis, the healthcare provider will typically ask a number of questions, perform a physical exam, and recommend certain tests.
 
Your healthcare provider may recommend:
 
  • X-rays or other imaging tests
  • Testing the synovial fluid
  • A spinal tap
  • Other tests.
     
Before making a diagnosis of infectious arthritis, the healthcare provider will also consider other conditions that share a number of symptoms with infectious arthritis. Some of these conditions include:
 
(Click Diagnosing Infectious Arthritis for more information.)
 
(Infectious Arthritis Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD