Neurol. praxi. 2018;19(5):359-364 | DOI: 10.36290/neu.2018.118

When to consider inflammatory rheumatic disease in the differential diagnosis of back pain?

MUDr. Olga Šléglová

Klinika revmatologie 1. LF UK a Revmatologický ústav, Praha

Aim: To highlight the need for early diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic causes of back pain that, due to their rare occurrence,tend to be overlooked easily in patients with back pain.Summary: The group of inflammatory rheumatic diseases of the back (spondyloarthritides /SpA/) include autoimmune inflammatorydiseases wherein the inflammation affects the axial skeleton, root joints, and peripheral joints, predominantly in the lowerlimbs. The most common disease of the SpA group is ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew’s disease). The diagnosis of ankylosingspondylitis has been based on the 1984 modified New York criteria which require radiographic confirmation of injury to thesacroiliac joints. The author aims to highlight in the article that the use of novel diagnostic methods has fundamentally changedthe approach to this disease, and presents an overview of the current classification criteria that allow for detection of the diseaseprior to developing permanent structural changes.

Conclusion: Early diagnosis allows for a rapid commencement of adequate treatment that can significantly affect the furthercourse of the disease.

Keywords: back pain, axial spondyloarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis

Published: October 1, 2018  Show citation