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Viral arthritis

Definition:

Viral arthritis is inflammation of the joints that results from a viral infection.



Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Arthritis may be a symptom of many virus-related illnesses. It usually disappears on its own without any lasting effects.

It may be associated with mumps , rubella , human parvovirus, and Hepatitis B .

It may also occur after immunization with rubella vaccine. This is a common form of childhood joint discomfort.



Symptoms:

The main symptom are joint pain and joint swelling of one or more joints.



Signs and tests:

A physical examination shows joint inflammation . A serology for viral agents may be performed.



Treatment:

Your doctor may prescribe pain medicines to relieve discomfort.

If joint inflammation is severe, aspiration of fluid from the affected joint may relieve pain.



Support Groups:



Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome is usually good. Most viral arthritis disappears within several days to weeks when the underlying virus-related disease goes away.



Complications:

There are usually no complications.



Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if arthritis symptoms persist continuously for longer than a few weeks.



Prevention:

There is no known way to prevent viral arthritis.




Review Date: 4/27/2007
Reviewed By: Steve Lee, DO, Rheumatology Fellow, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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