Symptoms

Symptoms occur in three main areas of the body: the joints, the eyes, and the urinary tract and genitals. Men and women may experience different symptoms. The disease may be milder in women. Symptoms may come and go. In rare cases, heart problems may develop later in the disease.

Specific symptoms include the following:

In the Urinary Tract and Reproductive System

In men:

• Frequent urination
• Burning sensation when passing urine
• Penal discharge
• Sores at end of penis
• Fever
• Chills

Male Urinary System

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In women:

• Burning sensation when passing urine
• Inflamed vagina and cervix

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. Your doctor uses these findings to help make the diagnosis. There is no specific test to check for Reiter’s syndrome.

Testing may include:

• Blood tests to check for:
  • Signs of inflammation (sedimentation rate)
  • Signs of infection (complete blood count)
  • The genetic factor associated with Reiter's syndrome (HLA-B27)
• Culture, gram stain, or other tests to look for bacteria that commonly cause infections associated with Reiter’s syndrome
• Removal of synovial fluid from around the joints to check for infection
• X-rays —a test that uses radiation to take a picture of structures inside the body such as joints
• Ultrasound—a test that uses sound waves to examine the inside of the body
• MRI scan —a test that uses magnetic and radio waves to make pictures of the inside of the body
• CT scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to make pictures of the inside of the body