Chronic polyarthritis after chikungunya fever

Abstract

Chikungunya fever is an arbovirosis, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti. It can affect people of all ages and is characterized by the occurrence of intense and debilitant polyarthralgia, which may advance to a chronic picture. CASE REPORT Male patient, 57 years old, from Campinas (SP), referred that in May 2021, after a trip to the Sorocaba (SP) region, he began having fever, myalgia, associated with symmetric inflammatory arthralgia in hands and wrists joints. Performed serology for chikungunya, with positive IgM. Evolved with chronic inflammatory polyarthralgia of the same joints and of the knees. Performed articular ultrasound with diffuse synovitis signs in metacarpophalangeal, with positive power Doppler—methotrexate being introduced. CONCLUSION After arboviral infections, especially in chikungunya, patients may evolve with chronic polyarthritis, similar to rheumatoid arthritis, including disease modifying antirheumatic drugs for treatment.