Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of spondyloarthritis

Abstract:

Spondyloarthritis is a collective term for inflammatory rheumatic diseases which includes ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. The main clinical feature of spondyloarthritis is inflammatory back pain and/or asymmetric oligoarthritis predominantly of the lower limbs as well as their mutual association with human leukocyte antigen, B27 (HLA-B27). Due to the many common features, it is very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis of each of the five entities in the early stage of the disease. Classification criteria are not identical to the diagnostic, and especially are not applicable as a diagnostic in the early stages of the disease. Given this, a simpler approach is used today in the diagnosis of these diseases which primarily divides spondyloarthritis into two groups according to whether the inflammatory process predominantly affects the spine or if the peripheral joints are predominately affected, which allows for earlier diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic patients. 

Key words:
ankylosing spondylitis; arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel diseases; HLA-B27; psoriatic arthritis; reactive arthritis; spondyloarthritis; undifferentiated spondyloarthritis