Primary hypogammaglobulinaemia and arthritis.

Arthritis may be the first clinical manifestation of primary hypogammaglobulinaemia. In 16 years of 281 patients who had immunodeficiency, 30 had arthritis at presentation. It was more common in Bruton's disease (15 (22%) of 69 patients) than in other forms of immunodeficiency (15 (7%) of 212 patients). Non-septic arthritis was more prevalent than septic arthritis, particularly monoarticular arthritis in Bruton's disease and pauciarticular disease in common variable immunodeficiency. Boys in whom a diagnosis of Bruton's disease was delayed were likely to develop recurrent infections complicated by arthritis. The measurement of serum immunoglobulin concentrations readily differentiates immunodeficiency from conditions such as Still's disease and dictates subsequent management.