Colitic arthropathies

Abstract

"Colitic arthropathy" is commonly used to describe the arthritis associated with ulcerative colitis or regional enteritis. The term also describes the acute sterile arthritis which infrequently follows infection of the intestinal tract with Salmonella, Shigella, or Yersinia. Sterile arthritis is the most common extraintestinal manifestation of Whipple's disease, in which an unidentified bacteria is present in greatest concentration in the small bowel. Although arthritis and intestinal symptoms are common in Behcet's syndrome, the arthritis is not usually thought of as a colitic arthropathy because of the prominence of other signs, such as oral and genital ulceration and eye involvement. Joint and intestinal manifestations may, however, appear first or overshadow for a time involvement of other systems. Arthritis and arthralgia also occur frequently after jejunocolic and jejunoileal bypass.