Synovial fluid findings in Reactive Arthritis
What are the usual synovial fluid findings from a patient with ReA?
The synovial fluid typically reveals a predominance of leukocytes, ranging from 2000 to 50,000 cells/mm 3 . In acute ReA, most of these cells are neutrophils, but in chronic disease, either lymphocytes or monocytes may be prevalent.
Other synovial fluid characteristics include decreased viscosity, normal glucose level, and increased protein.
Large vacuolar macrophages (Reiter’s cells) containing intact lymphocytes or fragmented nuclei are occasionally seen but are not specific for ReA. Synovial fluid
