Small joint polyarthritis – An unusual presentation of scrub typhus in a child

Abstract

Scrub typhus is a common Rickettsial infection which is endemic in tropical regions. It is characterised by fever, eschar, thrombocytopenia, lymphadenopathy and organomegaly. Scrub typhus has significant morbidity and mortality owing to its multisystemic involvement. Non-inflammatory polyarthritis of small joints is an uncommon presentation in paediatric scrub typhus. We discuss a five-year-old boy who presented with fever, small joint polyarthritis, hepatosplenomegaly and pathognomonic eschar with positive scrub IgM ELISA. Arthritis resolved completely with doxycycline therapy without any deformity.