Inflammation of a joint because of a gonorrhea infection is called gonococcal arthritis. The joint is infected by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrheoeae. It is most common in sexually active females rather than males.
Forms of Gonococcal Arthritis
The most common form of the condition has skin rashes and many large joints affected, like the ankle, wrist or knee. The lesser form spreads the bacteria through the blood and infects a single joint.
Symptoms
Signs of this condition include skin rash with raised sores that may have pus later, single joint pain, pain in the wrists or hands, pain or burning upon urination, fever, lower abdominal pain, or joint pain for one to four days.
Diagnosis
Blood cultures are done in all suspected cases of gonococcal arthritis. Samples of tissue, joint fluids, stool, and other bodily secretions will taken and tested for gonorrhea infection. Some of these tests include urine testing, joint fluid gram stain, throat culture, cervical gram stain, and a culture of joint aspirate.
Treatment
The underlying gonorrhea infection will be treated. They will cure the person infected and then locate and treat the sexual contacts of the person affected. The Centers for Disease Control has a standardized treatment routine that will be recommended for the patient. There will be followup testing done to make sure that the infection is cured. Most people start to have improvements within a day or two of treatment beginning. Left untreated, this condition can lead to chronic joint pain.
Source: A.D.A.M.