MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Felty’s syndrome

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Felty’s syndrome

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Definition Causes, incidence, and risk factors Symptoms Signs and tests	Treatment Expectations (prognosis) Complications Calling your health care provider Prevention

Illustrations

Antibodies

Definition Return to top

Felty's syndrome is a disorder characterized by rheumatoid arthritis, an enlarged spleen, a decreased white blood cell count, and recurrent infection.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

The cause of Felty’s syndrome is unknown. It is a variant of rheumatoid arthritis and is more common in people who have had rheumatoid arthritis for a long time. People with this syndrome suffer from an increased incidence of infection associated with a low white blood cell count.

Symptoms Return to top

General feeling of discomfort (malaise)
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Unintentional weight loss
Pale-looking skin
Joint swelling, stiffness, pain, and deformity
Recurrent infections
Eye burning or discharge

Signs and tests Return to top

A physical examination shows an enlarged spleen, and may also show an enlarged liver or enlarged lymph nodes. Joint findings are typical of rheumatoid arthritis.

A CBC (complete blood count) may show decreased neutrophil count.

Treatment Return to top

People with this syndrome are usually already under treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Splenectomy (removal of the spleen) may improve the white cell count and the susceptibility to infections.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

Progression of rheumatoid arthritis is likely. Some people benefit from splenectomy.

Complications Return to top

Recurrent infections may develop.

Calling your health care provider Return to top

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of this disorder develop.

Prevention Return to top

There is no known prevention for Felty's syndrome.

Update Date: 10/24/2003

Updated by: Stanford Peng, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Rheumatology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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