Biomaterial Database

Arthritis associated with venereal disease in nineteenth century London. 1998

G O Storey, and D L Scott

Department of Rheumatology, The Royal London Hospital, UK.

It is well known that arthritis can be associated with venereal disease. Nowadays septic arthritis and reactive arthritis (usually classified as Reiter's syndrome) are distinguished. To place current knowledge within its historical context we reviewed the medical literature on sexually acquired arthritis in the nineteenth century and examined the medical records of London teaching hospitals from this period. We used original sources of rheumatological literature at major London libraries, including the Heberden library of the Royal College of Physicians, and visited the archives at three London teaching hospitals to review original case records and examine diagnostic registers. The first clear description of arthritis associated with venereal disease was given by Swediaur (1798/1809) in French. It became relatively common in London from 1820 onwards with 13 cases described in the literature between 1818 and 1836. It accounts for 3% of admissions at University College and St Bartholomew's Hospitals between 1835 and 1839 and also 3% of admissions at the London Hospital from 1895 to 1900. In the 50 years after Swediaur's report, arthritis associated with venereal disease seemed quite common. This may have been related to the industrial revolution or other social diseases. Historical observations suggest its evidence may vary considerably with time.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008131	London	The capital of the United Kingdom. It is located in England.
D008297	Male		Males
D005260	Female		Females
D006069	Gonorrhea	Acute infectious disease characterized by primary invasion of the urogenital tract. The etiologic agent, NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE, was isolated by Neisser in 1879.	Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection
D006784	Hospitals, Teaching	Hospitals engaged in educational and research programs, as well as providing medical care to the patients.	Hospital, Teaching,Teaching Hospital,Teaching Hospitals
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015231	Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial	Bacterial diseases transmitted or propagated by sexual conduct.	Venereal Diseases, Bacterial,Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Disease,Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Diseases,Bacterial Venereal Diseases,Sexually Transmitted Disease, Bacterial,Bacterial Venereal Disease,Disease, Bacterial Venereal,Venereal Disease, Bacterial
D016918	Arthritis, Reactive	An aseptic, inflammatory arthritis developing secondary to a primary extra-articular infection, most typically of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT or UROGENITAL SYSTEM. The initiating trigger pathogens are usually SHIGELLA; SALMONELLA; YERSINIA; CAMPYLOBACTER; or CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS. Reactive arthritis is strongly associated with HLA-B27 ANTIGEN.	Arthritis, Postinfectious,Arthritis, Post-Infectious,Post-Infectious Arthritis,Postinfectious Arthritis,Reactive Arthritis,Reiter Disease,Reiter Syndrome,Reiter's Disease,Reiter's Syndrome,Arthritis, Post Infectious,Post Infectious Arthritis,Post-Infectious Arthritides,Postinfectious Arthritides,Reactive Arthritides,Reiters Disease,Reiters Syndrome
D049671	History, 18th Century	Time period from 1701 through 1800 of the common era.	18th Century History,18th Cent. History (Medicine),18th Cent. History of Medicine,18th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 18th Century,History of Medicine, 18th Cent.,History, Eighteenth Century,Medical History, 18th Cent.,Medicine, 18th Cent.,18th Century Histories,Cent. History, 18th (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 18th,Century Histories, 18th,Century Histories, Eighteenth,Century History, 18th,Century History, Eighteenth,Eighteenth Century Histories,Eighteenth Century History,Histories, 18th Century,Histories, Eighteenth Century,History, 18th Cent. (Medicine)
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History