Are all disorders with intermittent arthritis encompassed by the periodic arthritis syndromes?
No. Many other disorders may include intermittent joint swelling and other characteristics of the periodic syndromes. Among these are mechanical and inflammatory disorders. Thus, a broad differential should be kept in mind in patients with intermittent arthritis.
| Periodic syndromes | Spondyloarthropathies |
| • Intermittent hydrarthrosis | • Reactive arthritis |
| • Palindromic rheumatism | • Enteropathic arthritis |
| • Eosinophilic synovitis | Sarcoidosis |
| • Familial autoinflammatory syndromes | Infections |
| Crystalline arthropathies | • Lyme disease |
| • Gout | • Whipple’s disease |
| • Calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate (pseudogout) | Mechanical |
| • Hydroxyapatite | • Loose bodies |
| RS3PE | • Meniscal tear |
