A cluster of inflammatory rheumatic diseases in a moisture-damaged office.

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1: Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2002 Nov-Dec;20(6):833-6.

A cluster of inflammatory rheumatic diseases in a moisture-damaged

office.

Myllykangas-Luosujarvi R, Seuri M, Husman T, Korhonen R, Pakkala K,

Aho K.

Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 1777,

FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland. riitta.myllykangas-luosujarvi@...

OBJECTIVE: To describe a cluster of inflammatory rheumatic diseases

in an office workplace that suggests the presence of an

environmental trigger. METHODS: There had been an indoor air problem

in the workplace since the early 1990s. Large areas of the outer

walls of the building were found to be moisture-damaged and

contaminated by microbial growth. Case histories of the personnel

were studied, and their working areas were related to the areas with

highest microbial contamination. The incidence of inflammatory

rheumatic diseases was compared with the statistics of the same

geographic area. RESULTS: Ten patients with inflammatory rheumatic

diseases (3 rheumatoid arthritis, 4 ankylosing spondylitis, 2

Sjogren's syndrome, and one of psoriatic arthritis) entitled to

specially reimbursed medication were diagnosed in 1987-2000 (seven

cases in 1995-1998). The incidence density ratio computed for the

period 1987-2000 was 6.8 (95% confidence interval 3.6-13.0) for all

office personnel and 13.2 (6.0-29.0) for those working close to the

wall sustaining the worst damage. CONCLUSION: The accumulation of

chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases in a single workplace

suggests that some environmental exposure in this damp office had

triggered the diseases.

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