Crossover Between Degenerative Spinal Lesions and Axial Spondyloarthritis

July 10, 2018

A diagnostic challenge: degenerative spinal changes are common and can mimic axial spondyloarthritis.

Reference1. de Bruin F, Treyvaud MO, Feydy A, et al. Prevalence of degenerative changes and overlap with spondyloarthritis-associated lesions in the spine of patients from the DESIR cohort. RMD Open. 2018;4:e000657. doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2018-000657.

Freek de Bruin and colleagues in France found that the majority of patients suspected of having axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) also have degenerative spinal lesions. Although these lesions can mimic the abnormalities associated with axSpA, they can be readily distinguished from each other by trained evaluators.¹

Scroll through the slides for the details of the study and the take-home points for clinicians.

(Image credit: ©Tefi/Shutterstock.com)

axSpA, axial spondyloarthritis.

ASAS, Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society; SpA, spondyloarthritis.

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Crossover Between Degenerative Spinal Lesions and Axial Spondyloarthritis

Gregory M. Weiss, MD