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Review
. 2022 Nov;18(11):657-669.
doi: 10.1038/s41584-022-00833-0. Epub 2022 Sep 15.

Sexual dimorphism in the prevalence, manifestation and outcomes of axial spondyloarthritis

Rachael Stovall  1 , Irene E van der Horst-Bruinsma  2 , Shao-Hsien Liu  3 , Tamara Rusman  4 , Lianne S Gensler  5
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Sexual dimorphism in the prevalence, manifestation and outcomes of axial spondyloarthritis

Rachael Stovall et al. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2022 Nov.
Free article

Abstract

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that predominantly affects the axial skeleton, although it can affect peripheral joints, and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations also occur. Historically, axSpA was thought to be a disease predominantly seen in men, although with the advent of magnetic resonance imaging techniques and advances in research, this dogma has been challenged and refuted. Sex and gender are different concepts, and both can have a role in disease. In axSpA, consideration of the influence of sex and gender on the disease phenotype is necessary to predict outcomes and to enable the development of therapeutic approaches that are best suited to individual patients.

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