Musculoskeletal

Enteropathic arthritis

Axial or peripheral spondyloarthritis associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, requiring coordinated gastroenterology and rheumatology care.

Definition

Enteropathic arthritis is inflammatory peripheral or axial spondyloarthritis associated with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

First principles

Enteropathic arthritis links bowel inflammation with joint inflammation

Inflammatory bowel disease can be accompanied by peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis or axial spondyloarthritis. Peripheral symptoms may relate to bowel activity, while axial disease can run independently, so joint symptoms should not be assumed to reflect gastrointestinal activity alone.

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