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Background One third of the axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients suffers from acute anterior uveitis (AAU). Correspondently, AAU can be the first sign of axSpA and previous studies described undetected axSpA in up to 40% of the patients with noninfectious AAU. Objectives To study whether referral of all patients with AAU and chronic back pain results in a high prevalence of newly diagnosed axSpA patients. Methods A prospective ongoing observational study was started in April 2017, including all patients with noninfectious AAU and a history of back pain (≥3 months, started Results Between April 2017 and October 2018, 65 patients were referred to the Rheumatology clinic, of whom 50 (mean age 42 years; 48% female; median back pain duration 15 years) met all inclusion criteria. AxSpA was diagnosed in 13 patients (26%), of whom seven fulfilled the criteria for radiographic and six for non-radiographic axSpA (table 1). Another 21 patients (42%) were considered clinically suspicious for early axSpA, of whom four had SI joint abnormalities and two even fulfilled the mNY criteria for sacroiliitis. Forty-two% of all patients had a high disease activity score (ASDAS≥2.1). Patients diagnosed with axSpA were significantly more often male and HLA-B27 positive, had more SpA features and a higher BASMI score. In 25 patients treatment was started, mostly with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Two patients received a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor shortly after diagnosis. Conclusion In this study, 26% of the patients referred with noninfectious AAU and chronic back pain (≥3 months, started Disclosure of Interests Rianne van Bentum: None declared, Frank Verbraak: None declared, Sanne Wolf: None declared, Jenny Ongkosuwito: None declared, Stevie Tan: None declared, Irene van der Horst-Bruinsma Grant/research support from: MSD, Pfizer, AbbVie, Consultant for: Abbvie, UCB, MSD, Novartis, Speakers bureau: BMS, AbbVie, Pfizer, MSD |
