Relationship between articular and nonarticular manifestations in inflammatory bowel diseases

Alimohammad Fatemi, Hourossadat Hashemi Jazi, Mohammad Hasan Emami, Amir Kazemizadeh, Hamid Tavakkoli, Abbas Smiley

Abstract


Background: Musculoskeletal manifestations (MSM) of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are usually the most frequent extraintestinal manifestations. However, they are not paid enough attention during regular office visits. This cross-sectional study aimed to draw a clinical picture of MSM and their relationships with other findings in patients with IBD. Materials and Methods: Patients of our IBD cohort between March 2012 and September 2013 were consecutively evaluated. Those with current or past history of any MSM were examined by a rheumatologist. The outcome of interest was different MSMs. Distribution of IBD manifestations between the two groups of patients with (n = 20) and without (n = 253) MSM was compared. Logistic regression analysis was employed to find the  relationships of demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings with MSM. Results: Two hundred and seventy-three patients were enrolled. Forty-two patients (15.4%) had extraintestinal manifestations of which twenty patients (7.5%) had at least one MSM. 7/20 patients (35%) versus 22/253 (8.7%) had other  extraintestinal manifestations (P = 0.0001). 12/20 patients (57%) had arthritis (polyarthritis, 33% and oligoarthritis, 67%). The most frequent involved joints were knee and ankle observed in 8 (40%) and 7 (35%) patients, respectively. The

inflammatory back pain was recorded in 5/20 patients (25%) whereas two patients (10%) had ankylosing spondylitis. In regression analysis, oral aphthous (odds ratio [OR] =8.8 [95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.7–45],P = 0.009) and other extraintestinal manifestations (OR = 5.2 [95% CI, 1.3–20], P = 0.02) were significantly related with arthritis.Conclusion: The most frequent extraintestinal manifestations in patients with IBD were MSM. Knee and ankle were the most frequent involved joints. Extraintestinal manifestations were determinant variables of arthritis.

Key words: Arthritis, Crohn’s disease, musculoskeletal manifestations, ulcerative colitis

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