Overview of spondyloarthritis

Armstrong, 2013Kwiatkowska, 2009Li, 2013Orlando, 2009Ozgul, 2006Stolwijk, 2015Zochling, 2010

The term ‘spondyloarthritis’ encompasses a group of overlapping disease entities that share clinical (see Clinical features of spondyloarthritis) and radiological features. Many clinicians now conceptualise spondyloarthritis as a single disease entity with clinical features in the peripheral joints, spine, entheses, skin, gastrointestinal tract and other organs. Enthesitis (inflammation at the sites of tendon and ligament attachment to bone) is the hallmark of the various forms of spondyloarthritis and can occur in numerous locations. It most commonly affects the heels (see Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis), anterior chest wall and pelvis.

The various forms of spondyloarthritis share a genetic link with human leucocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27).

Diseases considered to be part of the spondyloarthritis spectrum include:

• axial spondyloarthritis
  • nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis
  • ankylosing spondylitis
• reactive arthritis
• enteropathic arthritis
• psoriatic arthritis.

For management of psoriatic arthritis in children and adolescents, see Psoriatic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. For management of spondyloarthritis in children and adolescents, see Enthesitis-related arthritis.