classification
Last reviewed 01/2018
Arthritis may be due to:
- non-infective arthritis - the classical arthritides
- septic/infective arthritis, which must be excluded before treating other types of arthritis because of the possibility of rapid rate of joint damage
- joint injury , very often overuse rather than recalled trauma, leading to joint effusion
- arthralgia, often caused by systemic viral infection
Pointers to the diagnosis of joint inflammation include:
- site
- number and distribution of affected joints - polyarticular, oligoarticular or monoarticular
- the age and sex of the patient
- associated symptoms
- past medical history and family history
- current drug therapy