ARTHROPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH INFECTION BY PARVOVIRUS-B19 - A DESCRIPTION OF 4 CASES

Four cases of human parvovirus infection in which the main clinical ma nifestation was a polyarthritis are described. Four females with ages ranging from 30 to 32 years presented with acute symmetrical polyarthr algias involving hands and knees. In addition, evidence of synovitis i n the ankles and tenosynovitis of the fingers was found in two and thr ee cases respectively. Half of the patients noticed an erythematous ra sh in the preceeding days. Laboratory studies were normal in all cases . Antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor were not detected in an y case. All patients had significant levels of IgG and IgM antibodies to parvovirus B19 at the time of presentation and a rise in IgG and a fall in IgM levels were seen at two months. All cases cleared up withi n two weeks without treatment.