Spondyloarthritis – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Spondyloarthritis is the name of a group of diseases that are characterized by symptoms of arthritis of the spine in combination with arthritis of the extremities. There are two types of spondyloarthritis: axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis.

What is spondyloarthritis and what are its symptoms?

Spondyloarthritis is a group of diseases whose main symptoms are arthritis of the spine and inflammation of the peripheral joints, that is, the joints of the extremities (legs and arms). Arthritis of the spine is the dominant symptom of axial spondyloarthritis, while arthritis of the extremities is the main symptom in the form of peripheral spondyloarthritis.

The group of diseases known as spondyloarthritis includes:

1. ankylosing spondylitis,
2. psoriatic arthritis,
3. arthritis as a result or complication of certain infections
4. arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel conditions, for example in Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

It often happens that in the initial stage of the disease it is difficult to make an unambiguous diagnosis. Diagnosis of spondyloarthritis is based on clinical symptoms. Until it is unequivocally determined what is its immediate cause, the diagnosis of “unclassified” spondyloarthropathy is made.

With spondyloarthritis, additional symptoms from other organs often develop, such as uveitis.

Juvenile spondyloarthritis

There are also juvenile spondyloarthropathies (mSpA for short). It is a group of chronic inflammatory diseases that begin before the age of 16. As with adult spondyloarthritis, juvenile spondyloarthritis is characterized by limb arthritis, spondylitis, sacroiliitis, or enthesitis.

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The causes of spondyloarthropathy

The causes of spondyloarthropathy include non-rheumatoid arthritis syndromes. The exact reasons for the development of this group of diseases are currently unknown.

Treatment methods for spondyloarthropathy

Spondyloarthropathies are treated with anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Currently, biological drugs are also used in the treatment of spondyloarthropathy. Biologics can be used to treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and pre-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Treatment of spondyloarthritis usually starts with at least two NSAIDs used for more than 4 weeks.

Biological drugs (TNF-alpha inhibitors or human monomlonal antibodies to IL-17A, trade name Sekukinumab) are administered in case of poor prognosis and acute inflammation.

Biologics are not as effective in all cases of spondyloarthritis. For example, TNF-alpha inhibitors are only effective against active inflammation.