- Joints (including the spine/back)
- Skin (classically in the form of psoriasis)
- Gut (classically Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis, possibly Celiac and Microscopic Colitis?)
- Eyes (for example uveitis or iritis)
- Encompasses various diseases such as Psoriatic Arthritis, Enteropathic Arthritis, Reactive Arthritis, and Ankylosing Spondylitis
Some important terms:
Enthesitis
Inflammation where a tendon or ligament inserts into the bone.
- Multiple spots on the body (over 600 points)
- Often experienced as pain in areas near or around the joint (i.e. a “periarthritis”)
Sacroiliitis
Inflammation of the sacroiliac joint.
- Low back pain and stiffness often (but not always) worse in the morning
- At times associated with changes on x-ray but this is not required
Synovitis
Swelling and tenderness of specific joints.
- The classic manifestation of inflammation of the joint
- Doesn’t have to be present in spondyloarthritis
Why does it occur?
- Short answer – it’s not clear.
- The unsatisfying answer – there is some underlying risk (i.e. genetics) that is impacted by our bodies continuous interaction with the environment.
- This does seem to be somewhat hereditary – i.e. if a family member has spondyloarthritis other first degree relatives may have a slightly higher risk themselves.
- HLA-B27 is a marker that has classically been associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis but its utility is not entirely clear, especially in women and in other forms of Spondyloarthritis.