Prevalence and clinical presentations of arthritis in HIV-positive patients seen at a rheumatology department in Congo-Brazzaville.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and clinical presentations of rheumatic manifestations in HIV-infected patients seen at a rheumatology department in Congo-Brazzaville.

Methods: Over a one-year period, all patients admitted to the Brazzaville Teaching Hospital's rheumatology unit underwent serologic testing for the HIV by ELISA confirmed by Western blot. Standard criteria were used to classify the inflammatory joint diseases seen during the study period.