Prevalence of the spondyloarthritides in patients with uveitis

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of the spondyloarthritides in patients with uveitis and to establish criteria for certain subtypes of this group of diseases.

Methods: In a university-based prospective study, we examined 433 patients with different types of uveitis for signs of spondyloarthritides as defined by the classification criteria of the European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG).

Results: Forty-four of the 433 uveitis patients (36 with acute anterior uveitis and 8 with other types of uveitis) had spondyloarthritis according to the ESSG classification criteria. Nineteen of these 44 patients had ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 11 had undifferentiated spondyloarthritis, 9 reactive arthritis, and 5 psoriatic arthritis.

Conclusion: Uveitis is associated not only with AS and reactive arthritis, but also with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis. The ESSG criteria are helpful in identifying these spondyloarthritides in uveitis patients.