Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) Practice Exam

What condition may present with urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis?

1. Syphilis

2. Reactive arthritis

3. Chlamydia infection

4. Gonorrhea

The correct answer is: Reactive arthritis

The condition characterized by the triad of urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis is known as reactive arthritis. This inflammatory joint condition can occur in response to an infection elsewhere in the body, often affecting joints and sometimes other organs like the eyes and the urethra. It is commonly associated with genitourinary infections, particularly those caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and sometimes post-infectious responses to other pathogens. In reactive arthritis, the symptoms develop typically after a certain infection has resolved, linking the initial infectious process to the subsequent development of the arthritis and other systemic manifestations. This connection highlights the involvement of immune mechanisms, which may contribute to the joint inflammation and the extra-articular symptoms such as conjunctivitis and urethritis. While other infections like Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can lead to urethritis, they are not classified as the condition that includes this specific triad of symptoms occurring together as seen in reactive arthritis. Syphilis, on the other hand, has distinct clinical manifestations and does not commonly present with this combination. Understanding the association of these symptoms with reactive arthritis is crucial for proper diagnosis and management.