Ankylosing Spondylitis and Undifferentiated Spondyloarthropathy eMedicine

Description: Last Updated: December 6, 2006
Synonyms and related keywords: ankylosing spondylitis, undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, Marie-Strümpell disease, von Bechterew disease, von Bechterew's disease, spondyloarthropathies, SpAs, AS, rheumatoid spondylitis, USpA, peripheral enthesitis, sacroiliitis, Schober test, cauda equina syndrome, dactylitis, European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria, Amor criteria, New York criteria, Rome criteria, Romanus lesion, bamboo spine, fused spine, Reiter syndrome, Reiter's syndrome, reactive arthritis, ReA, RS, psoriatic arthritis, PsA, Whipple disease, Behçet disease, uveitis, iritis, iridocyclitis
Contents: Introduction Clinical Differentials Workup Treatment Medication Follow-up Miscellaneous Pictures Bibliography
Author: Lawrence H Brent, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University; Chair, Program Director, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Albert Einstein Medical Center
Background: The spondyloarthropathies (SpAs) are a family of related disorders that includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Reiter syndrome (RS), reactive arthritis (ReA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), spondyloarthropathy associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (USpA), and, possibly, Whipple disease and Behçet disease. Ankylosing spondylitis is the prototypical SpA and its name means "inflamed spine growing together." It has been designated by various names, including rheumatoid spondylitis in the American literature, spondyloarthrite rhizomegalique in the French literature, and the eponyms Marie-Strümpell disease and von Bechterew disease.