Spondyloarthropathies Flashcards
What are spondyloarthropathies/spondyloathritides?
Group of conditions, associated with HLA-B27, that affect spine & peripheral joints
State 4 spondyloarthropathies- highlight which is most common
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Enteropathic arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Reactive arthritis
Spnondyloarthropathies have 4 common clinical features; state these
- Sacroiliac/axial disease (back/buttock pain)
- Inflammatory arthropathy of peripheral joints
- Enthesitis (innflammation at tendon insertions)
- Extra-articular features (skin/gut/eye)
All spondyloathritides are seronegative and some are also not associated HLA B27; true or false?
FALSE:
- All are seronegative
- All associated with HLA B27
What is ankylosis?
What is spondylitis?
- Abnormal stiffening and immobility of joint due to fusion of bones
- Inflammation of joints in back
What is ankylosing spondylitis?
Inflammatory condition mainly affecting spine that causes progressive stiffness and pain
NOTE: no pathophysiology card as pathophysiology not understood. Just know all spondyloarthropathies are associated with HLA-B27
Who does ankylosing spondylitis usually present in?
Usually young men (teens-mid thirties)
State some risk factors for ankylosing spondylitis
- HLA-B27 (around 90% of pts with ankylosing spondylitis have the gene; however, only 2% of people who have the gene will get AS)
- Family history
State some symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis- inlcude joint symptoms and extra-articular manifestations
HINT: for some of extra-articular manifestations think of “all the A’s”
Symptoms develop gradually over > 3 months:
Joint Symptoms
- Lower back pain
- Lower back stiffness
- Sacroiliac pain
- Inflammatory arthropathy therefore worse with rest, improves with movement
- >30 mins morning stifness
- Chest pain related to costovertebral & costosternal joints
- Enthesitis (inflammation of tendon insertions to bone- cause plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis)
Extra-articular manifestations
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Anaemia
- Anterior uveitis
- Aortitis
- AV blockblock (due to fibrosis of hearts conductive system)
- Apical pulmonary fibrosis
State what might find on clincial examination of someone with ankylosing spondylitis
Clincial examination often normal in early stages but later may find:
- Positive Schober’s test
- Loss of lumbar lordosis
- Exagerated thoracic kyphosis
- Reduced chest expansion
What gastro disease is associated with ankylosing spondyliltis?
IBD
For Schober’s test, describe:
- What it is
- How you do it
- What result indicates
- Test to assess how much mobility there is in the spine
-
Method:
- Pt stand straight with feet hip width apart
- Find L5 vertebrate
- Mark a point 10cm and a point 5cm below
- Ask pt to bend forward as far as they can with legs straight
- Measure the distance between two points
- If the distance between them when bending forwards is <20cm this indicates restriction in lumbar movement and helps support diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis
*TIP: to locate L5, put your hands on pts waist to find iliac crest, point your thumbs to midline, this should put you in region of L4. Count down one vertebrate.
Dicuss what investigations you would do if you suspect ankylosing sponylitis, include:
- Bedside
- Bloods
- Imaging
Bedside
- Schober’s test (as part of clinical examination)
Bloods
- CRP: raised
- ESR: raised
- HLA-B27 genetic test: found in 90% pts with ankylosing spondylitis
Imaging
- X-ray of spine & sacrum: show changes associated with ankylosing spondylitis
- MRI of spine: can show bone marrow oedema in early stages before there are any x-ray changes
NOTE: you may do other investigations if there any associated conditions (mentioned in symptoms)
What x-ray changes might you see in a pt with ankylosing spondylitis?
“Bamboo spine”
- Squraring of vertebral bodies
- Subchondral sclerosis & erosions
- Syndesmophytes (areas of growth where ligaments insert into bone)
- Ossification of ligaments, discs & joints
- Fusion of facet, sacroiliac & costovertebral joints
Why may a pt with ankylosing spondylitis get bamboo sign on x-ray?
- Inflammation can cause ethentesis (inflammation of tendon or ligament insertion into bone)
- Ethentesis leads to bony proliferations between ligaments and vertebrate
- Bony proliferations fuse with vertebrate above
- In later stages get calcification of ligaments leading to bamboo spine appearance
What might an MRI spine show in a pt with ankylosying spondylitis?
Bone marrow oedema
Discuss the management of ankylosing spondylitis, include:
- Conservative management
- Pharmalogical management of acute flare & long term control
Conservative
- Physiotherapy
- Exercise & mobilisation
- Smoking cessation
Acute Flare
- First line= NSAIDs: for pain. If no improvement after 2-4 week of max dose switch to a different NSAID
- Steroids: during flares.- oral, IM or joint injection
Long term control (don’t necessarily need these)
- Anti-TNF medications: e.g. etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab (severe)
- Consider bisphosphonates: incresed risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in AS
- Surgery for deformities