Combined therapeutic approach: inflammatory bowel diseases and peripheral or axial arthritis.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), particularly Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are associated with a variety of extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs). About 36% of IBD patients have at least one EIM, which most frequently affect the joints, skin, eyes and the biliary tract. The EIMs associated with IBD have a negative impact on patients with UC and CD, and the resolution of most of them parallels that of the active IBD in terms of timing and required therapy; however, the clinical course of EIMs such as axial arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, uveitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis is independent of IBD activity. The peripheral and axial arthritis associated with IBD have traditionally been treated with simple analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, sulfasalazine, methotrexate, local steroid injections and physiotherapy, but the introduction of biological response modifiers such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers, has led to further improvements.
Atzeni
Fabiola
F
Rheumatology Unit, L Sacco University Hospital, Milano, Italy. atzenifabiola@hotmail.com
Ardizzone
Sandro
S
Bertani
Luca
L
Antivalle
Marco
M
Batticciotto
Alberto
A
Sarzi-Puttini
Piercarlo
P
D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha