Seronegative spondyloarthropathies

What are the major categories of seronegative arthropathies?

(Mnemonic:PAIR) Ankylosing spongylitis, Reiter's/Reactive Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Inflammtory Bowel Disease

What is common in the seronegative arthropathies?

Absence of RF, usually involves SI joint, peripheral arthritis, association to HLA-B27, enthesitis/enthesopathy, common extra articular features

Which of the seronegative arthropathies has the strongest association with HLA-B27?

Ankylosing spondylitis

Characteristics of Ankylosing spondylitis

Back pain before the age of 40 and longer than 3 months associated with early morning stiffness and gets better with exercise not relieved by rest

What radiographic changes are seen on Xray in ankylosing spondylitis?

Erosion leading to psuedowidening of the joint spaces, followed by new bone growth that results in joint space widening and fusion (ankylosis), syndesmophytes, bamboo spine

What physical exam test can you do for ankylosing spondylitis?

Shober test

What other findings are present in akylosing spondylitis?

Peripheral oligoarthritis, enthesitis like in the Achilles tendon, iritis, aortitis and aortic deficiency, pulmonary fibrosis

Treatment for ankylosing spondylitis

Physical therapy stretching and swimming, Immunosuppression with Indomethacin (inhibits prostaglandin synthesis) and Methotrexate (inhibits DHF), and etanercept (soluble TNF alpha receptor) and infliximab (murine/human anti TNF-alpha receptor antibody)

What is reactive arthritis?

Peripheral arthritis of more than one month's duration occuring in association with GI or GU infection

Examples of organisms that can be associated with reactive arthritis?

chlamydia mycoplasma ureaplasma campylobacter jejuni salmonella yersinia enterocolitica shigella

True/False: most patients with Reiter's/Reactive arthritis present with urethritis or cervicitis; spinal pain is a late finding

TRUE

Other findings in reactive arthritis?

conjunctivits irits keratoderma blenorrhagicum mouth ulcers circinate balantis enthesopathy sacroilitis arthritis

Treatment for Reactive arthritis

NSAIDS and physical therapy

Do antibiotics help prevent and shorten duration of reactive arthritis?

It depends. Yes for reactive arthritis caused by GI bugs but no for reactive arthritis caused by GU bugs

What is typical of psoriatic arthritis?

sausage digits, pencil cup defomity, inflammatory arthritis in the digits at the DIP joints leading to pencil cup deformity,asymptomatic sacroilitis, enthesopathy, asymmetric arthritis, onycholysis, no rheumatoid nodules

What is the treatment for psoriatic arthritis?

TNF inhibitors like infliximab or etanercept, NSAIDS, methotrexate, sulfasalazine, leflunamide

Pathogenesis in Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Enthesitis and secondary fibrosis and new bone formation leading to ankylosis

True/False: early in Ankylosing spondylitis the SI joint may show pseudowidening

TRUE

Are disc spaces preserved in Ankylosing spondylitis?

Yes

Why is there buttock pain in Ankylosing spondylitis?

referred from SI joint inflammation

Rx for early ankylosing spondylitis?

Exercise and NSAIDS

True/False: 90% of persons with Ankylosing Spondylitis have HLA_B27

TRUE

True/False: 85% of persons with Reactive Arthritis have HLA-B27

TRUE

True/False: 50% of persons with Psoriastic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease have HLA-B27

TRUE