Reactive Arthritis Diagnosis

Because no single test exists for making a reactive arthritis diagnosis, your healthcare provider may use a combination of your medical history, physical exam, and test results to diagnose your condition. Tests such as x-rays and blood tests can help your doctor make a diagnosis. Your doctor will also rule out other conditions (such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis) that share similar symptoms with reactive arthritis.

 

An Overview of Diagnosing Reactive Arthritis

There is no single specific test that can be used for diagnosing reactive arthritis (also known as Reiter's syndrome). Therefore, in order to make a diagnosis of reactive arthritis, the healthcare provider will begin by asking a number of questions. This is known as getting a person's medical history. Some of these questions may be related to:
 
  • Current or recent symptoms, including flu-like symptoms, such as fever, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Other medical conditions
  • Current medications
  • Any recent infections
  • A family history of any medical conditions, including arthritis.
     
After asking a number of questions, the healthcare provider will perform a physical exam looking for signs of reactive arthritis. The physical exam includes the healthcare provider examining the joints, skin, reflexes, and muscle strength.
 
After the medical history and physical exam, the healthcare provider may recommend certain tests to help diagnose reactive arthritis.
 

Tests Used for Diagnosing Reactive Arthritis

Certain tests your healthcare provider may recommend to help diagnose reactive arthritis include:
 
  • X-rays
  • Blood tests
  • Other tests.
     
X-Rays
Doctors sometimes use x-rays to help diagnose reactive arthritis and to rule out other causes of arthritis. X-rays can detect some of the signs of reactive arthritis, including spondylitis, sacroiliitis, swelling of soft tissues, damage to cartilage or bone margins of the joint, and calcium deposits where the tendon attaches to the bone.
(Reactive Arthritis Diagnosis Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD