Rheumatology: Current Research
Open Access

Abstract

Use of Ultrasonography in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Spondyloarthritis: An Update

Fabiola Atzeni, Alberto Batticciotto, Salvatore Salli, Marco Antivalle and Sarzi-Puttini

Intestinal Bowel Diseases (IBDs) are inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that are often associated with extra-intestinal manifestations, the most frequent of which are musculoskeletal symptoms. These are experienced by 6-46% of IBD patients, and include articular, peri-articular and muscular involvement, osteoporosis and the related fractures, and fibromyalgia. IBD-related SpondyloArthritis (SpA) is mainly characterised by axial involvement, but may also be associated with synovitis, dactylitis or signs of enthesopathy such as Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and chest wall pain. SpA-associated enthesitis is generally assessed by eliciting tenderness at the entheses. UltraSonography (US) is a non-invasive and easily reproducible means of diagnosing and following up SpA patients, but there are only a few published studies of its use in IBD patients with articular involvement. This review analysed all of the data available in the literature and our new findings.