Appendicitis followed by reactive arthritis in an HLA B27-positive man after infection withYersinia enterocolitica, diagnosed by serotype specific antibodies and antibodies toYersinia outer membrane proteins

A case of appendicitis followed by reactive arthritis in an HLA B27-positive, 29-year-old man after infection withYersinia enterocolitica is reported. Infection withY. enterocolitica was diagnosed by determination of serotype specific antibodies and antibodies toYersinia outer membrane proteins. Bacteriological cultures from the appendix were not made. Although reactive arthritis is a well-known complication ofYersinia-associated enteric disease, there are only few reports of patients withY. enterocolitica pseudo-appendicitis complicated by arthritis during follow-up.