Approach to the Patient with Axial Spondyloarthritis and Suspected Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2020 May;46(2):275-286. doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2020.01.004. Epub 2020 Mar 9.

Abstract

To adequately and efficiently evaluate patients with gastrointestinal symptoms in the context of axial spondyloarthritis can be difficult, considering that many of these patients suffer from chronic pain, present high inflammatory parameters, and use drugs with possible gastrointestinal adverse effects. In addition, the immunosuppressive treatments that these patients can receive make it necessary to always consider infections within the differential diagnoses of inflammatory bowel disease. In this article, we propose a practical approach to patients diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis and suspected inflammatory bowel disease.

Keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; Axial spondyloarthritis; Digestive system; Gastrointestinal diseases; Inflammatory bowel disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Chronic Pain / etiology
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Infections / etiology
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / complications
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* / drug therapy
  • Spondylarthritis* / complications
  • Spondylarthritis* / diagnosis
  • Spondylarthritis* / drug therapy

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents