Viral infections: arthritis in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patient.

Reactive arthritis is common in HIV-positive patients and may be mistaken for septic arthritis. We feel that the association is probably, in part, due to the increased incidence of diarrhoeal diseases in HIV-infected patients rather than a specific effect of HIV on the synovium. Disabling, chronic, sero-negative polyarthritis is common in the later stages of HIV infection and further palliative therapeutic strategies are urgently needed.