Balanitis circinata (also known as circinate balanitis) is a skin condition of reactive arthritis comprising a serpiginous ring-shaped dermatitis of the glans penis. Circinate balanitis is one of the most common cutaneous manifestation of reactive arthritis. However, balanitis circinata can also occur independently. Topical corticosteroid therapy is the most commonly used treatment, and topical calcineurin inhibitors have also been used successfully. Signs and symptoms
At the beginning, people show pin-sized dots with white plaque on them which constantly grow into flat, red areas hardly surrounded by white plaque. Despite the visible symptoms, patients in nearly all cases do not suffer from burning or itching, nor does it smell strange. Due to its analogy to a fungal skin infection, balanitis circinata is often misdiagnosed as mycosis – especially in cases where patients have no other symptoms of reactive arthritis. Cause
Reactive arthritis is characterized by nongonococcal urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis. Reactive arthritis belongs to the group of arthritides known as the spondyloarthritides. There are two main types of reactive arthritis: post-venereal and post-enteric. Chlamydia trachomatis is thought to be the most common cause of reactive arthritis, in general. Until recently, even the terminology for the condition itself was unclear as multiple eponyms and names have been associated with reactive arthritis. In recent years, a great deal has been learnt about the epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of reactive arthritis and chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis, specifically. Prospective epidemiologic data suggest that chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis is underdiagnosed.
Carotidynia is a syndrome characterized by unilateral (one-sided) tenderness of the carotid artery, near the bifurcation. It was first described in 1927 by Temple Fay. The most common cause of carotidynia may be migraine, and then it is usually self-correcting. Common migraine treatments may help alleviate the carotidynia symptoms. Recent histological evidence has implicated an inflammatory component of carotidynia, but studies are limited. Carotid arteritis is a much less common cause of carotidynia, but has much more serious consequences. It is a form of giant cell arteritis, which is a condition that usually affects arteries in the head. Due to this serious condition possibly causing carotidynia, and the possibility that neck pain is related to some other non-carotidynia and serious condition, the case should be investigated by a medical doctor. Because carotidynia can be caused by numerous causes, Biousse and Bousser in 1994 recommended the term not be used in the medical literature. However, recent MRI and ultrasound studies have supported the existence of a differential diagnosis of carotidynia consistent with Fays characterization. References
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