Spondylarthritis--a family of inflammatory-rheumatic diseases

Spondyloarthritides are chronic inflammatory disorders, characterized by sacroiliitis, spondylitis, peripheral arthritis, extra-articular manifestations and association with HLA-B27. Specific clinical presentations allow to differentiate between different diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriasis arthritis and arthritis in inflammatory bowel disease. For therapy, regular physiotherapy, ergonomic counselling, anti-inflammatory drugs, disease-modifying drugs and antibiotics for chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis are used.