APPENDICITIS FOLLOWED BY REACTIVE ARTHRITIS IN AN HLA B27-POSITIVE MAN AFTER INFECTION WITH YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA, DIAGNOSED BY SEROTYPE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AND ANTIBODIES TO YERSINIA OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEINS

A case of appendicitis followed by reactive arthritis in an HLA B27-po sitive, 29-year-old man after infection with Yersinia enterocolitica i s reported. Infection with I: enterocolitica was diagnosed by determin ation of serotype specific antibodies and antibodies to Yersinia outer membrane proteins. Bacteriological cultures from the appendix were no t made. Although reactive arthritis is a well-known complication of Ye rsinia-associated enteric disease, there are only few reports of patie nts with Y. enterocolitica pseudo-appendicitis complicated by arthriti s during follow-up.