Enteropathic Arthritis

Arthropathy associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD)).

An acute inflammatory oligoarthritis presents in some of the patients with IBD. It mostly affects large joints – knees, ankles, hips but wrists and small joints of the hands and feet can also be involved.

• Dactylitis and enthesopathy are occasionally found
• It improves with effective treatment of the bowel disease, and can be cured by total colectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis
• Diarrhea and arthritis are both common

Treatment

• Crohn’s Disease: anti-TNF agents – Infliximab and adalimumab
• sulfasalazine
• Careful with NSAID as they can worsen IBD.