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Which symptoms commonly occur in Reiter syndrome?

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Reiter syndrome, now more commonly referred to as reactive arthritis, is a type of spondyloarthropathy characterized by a classic triad of symptoms: urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis.1

Patients typically develop acute oligoarthritis—affecting two to four joints, primarily in the lower extremities—within weeks of a gastrointestinal infection or a sexually transmitted disease. While the joint space itself remains free of bacteria, the condition is triggered by an infection elsewhere in the body.1

Other common symptoms and clinical features include:
* Systemic signs: Fever and weight loss.1
* Musculoskeletal issues: Back pain, enthesitis (inflammation where a tendon or ligament inserts into bone) of the heel, and dactylitis, which presents as sausage-shaped swelling of the fingers and toes.1
* Skin and mucosal involvement: The condition can also affect the skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.2

Most cases resolve within one year, though 15–30 percent of patients may develop chronic, progressive arthritis.1