[Articular manifestations in Crohn's disease. A prospective study of 68 cases].

UNLABELLED: The study was aimed to evaluate the frequency and types of articular manifestations in a group of Crohn's disease patients, and to determine the risk factors.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

We included 68 Crohn's disease patients. All patients had a complete rheumatological examination. Radiographs of the sacroiliac joints and lumbar spine were performed. 40 men and 28 women with a mean age of 31 years were included. Articular manifestations were observed in 41 patients. Twenty two patients suffered of peripheral articular manifestations: arthralgias in 18 patients and arthritis in 10 cases. Peripheral articular manifestation were significatly associated to ileal location of intestinal disease. Their frequency was of 41.3% in ileal location group versus 13.6% in colic location group (p = 0.02). Axial manifestations were observed in 32 patients: ankylosing spondylitis was diagnosed in 11 cases, undifferentiated spondylarthropathy in 7 patients, sacroiliitis in 10 cases, inflammatory back pain in 3 patients and enthesopathy in 1 case. The male sex and long duration of intestinal disease were two independants factors associated to axial manifestations.