ABSTRACT

Objective: Reiter’s syndrome (RS) is manifested by the triad: arthritis, urethritis and conjuctivitis. It is considered that RS is of reactive nature but there are authors who consider that arthritis is of infectious nature in this disorder. This disorder is usually curable spontaneously but there are about 50% of patients who have permanent defects and, chronic destructive arthritis occurs in 15% of patients. In view of the application of antibiotic therapy, there are no definite attitudes.
Methods: In our study, antibiotic treatment with klindamicin 600 mg pro die, was used during 10 days in 33 patients where the diagnosis of Reiter’s syndrome was made and where urethral swal showed presence of Chlamydia trachomatis (23 patients) and Mycoplasma (10 patients).
Results: After the applied therapy, controlled bacteriologic and serologic examinations showed that a causative agent of non-gonorrhoicus not specific urethritis in RS had been eliminated in 31 patients (93.9%). The findings were in correlation with the retreat of symptoms and recovery of the patients.
Comclusion: Antibiotic therapy was very efficient in patients who have RS in terms of eliminating infectious agents, but it also resulted in fast retreat of symptoms and in a decrease of the number of sequelae

Key words: reiter's syndrome, chlamydia trachomatis, mycoplasma

Correspondence:
Prof.dr Ivan Zgradic,
Clinic of Rheumatology, Military Medical Academy
Crnotravska 17, 11000 Belgrade,Yugoslavia