A CASE REPORT OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE ASSOCIATED SERONEGATIVE SPONDYLOARTHROPATHY AND ITS OUTCOME WITH AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY

Dr. Peddapalli Appa Rao and Dr. Mahwish Jawaid*

ABSTRACT

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that is both chronic and relapsing; it encompasses both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In addition to affecting the GI tract, IBD has several extra-intestinal manifestations (EIM), including arthritis, ocular involvement, dermatologic manifestations, pulmonary manifestations, biliary tree complications, anemia, and thromboembolism. Arthritis is the most common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can have a significant impact on morbidity and quality of life. IBDassociated arthropathy is considered a subtype of seronegative spondyloarthropathy, with axial, peripheral, or a combination of both joint manifestations. While there have been advances in identifying predisposing genetic factors and in elucidating pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease, the mechanisms surrounding the development of arthritis in IBD remain unclear. Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is not always sufficient for control of arthritis. While treatment with biologic agents is promising, there remains a great need for larger, randomized studies to address optimal therapy of IBD associated arthropathy.

Keywords: IBDassociated arthropathy, seronegative spondyloarthropathy.