What is the most common cause of acute arthritis in young adults?

What is the most common cause of acute arthritis in young adults?

• A. Gonococcal joint infection
• B. Rheumatoid arthritis
• C. Osteoarthritis
• D. Gout

Answer: (A)

In sexually active young adults, acute arthritis is most often due to septic arthritis caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonococcal infection can disseminate to joints, producing a migratory arthritis with tendon involvement or a single swollen joint, making it the leading cause of acute septic arthritis in this age group. The other conditions listed are less likely to be the most common cause in this demographic: rheumatoid arthritis tends to present in middle age with a more insidious, symmetric pattern; osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative process; gout is more common in older individuals and presents with very painful monoarthritis rather than a common cause of acute arthritis in young adults. When a young adult presents with acute joint swelling, prioritize joint aspiration to assess for infection and initiate appropriate antibiotics if septic arthritis is suspected; for gonococcal infection, treatment typically uses a third-generation cephalosporin such as ceftriaxone, with attention to possible chlamydial coinfection and partner management.

In sexually active young adults, acute arthritis is most often due to septic arthritis caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonococcal infection can disseminate to joints, producing a migratory arthritis with tendon involvement or a single swollen joint, making it the leading cause of acute septic arthritis in this age group. The other conditions listed are less likely to be the most common cause in this demographic: rheumatoid arthritis tends to present in middle age with a more insidious, symmetric pattern; osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative process; gout is more common in older individuals and presents with very painful monoarthritis rather than a common cause of acute arthritis in young adults. When a young adult presents with acute joint swelling, prioritize joint aspiration to assess for infection and initiate appropriate antibiotics if septic arthritis is suspected; for gonococcal infection, treatment typically uses a third-generation cephalosporin such as ceftriaxone, with attention to possible chlamydial coinfection and partner management.