Spondyloarthritides (general overview)

Question 1

What conditions are included in the group of seronegative spondyloarthropathies?

Answer 1

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Reactive arthritis
• IBD spondylitis (aka enteropathic spondylitis)
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Other (rare ones)

Question 2

What are the common characteristics of all the seronegative spondyloarthropathies?

Answer 2

• Seronegative
• ALL have association with HLA-B27
• Axial joint inflammation (spondylitis and sacroilitis)
• Oligoarthritis, that is asymmetrical presentation
• Enthesitis
• Extra-articular features (eyes, skin, genitourinary tract, aortic regurgitation)

Question 3

What is ethesitis?

Answer 3

Inflammation of the entheses, the sites where tendons or ligaments insert into the bone
Main: plantar fasciitis, achillis tendonitis, costochondritis

Question 4

What is meant by spondyloarthropathy?

Answer 4

Spondyloarthropathy includes joint involvement of the vertebral column from any type of joint disease (including RA and OA), but the term is usually in reference to seronegative spondyloarthropathies (association with HLA B27 and no RF or ANA, etc)