Thearthropathy ofcystic fibrosis

SUMMARY Musculoskeletal symptomsare frequent incystic fibrosis (CF).Heretheclinical features of29patients withCF whohadsignificant arthropathy aredescribed. Twelvehad episodic arthritis (EA)characterised byrepeated shortattacks ofsevere,incapacitating polyarthritis, whichinsevenwas associated withfever anderythema nodosum. Tenpatients had hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA).Theonsetofsymptomsinthegroupwith HPOA was usually later (meanage 20yearsv 16yearsforEA)andwas associated with significantly worselungfunction thaninpatients withCF,either without arthropathy orwithEA. Sevenpatients hadarthropathies whichcouldnotbeclassified as EA or HPOA.