Spondyloarthropathy natural history, complications and prognosis

Possible Complication

Since spondyloarthropathies categorize into different type, each category can have their complication. The most common disease of this category is Ankylosing spondylitis and at the next one is Psoriasis arthritis.

individuals with psoriasis may develop the following complications:

• High-output cardiac failure in erythroderma
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Infections
• Cachexy
• Amyloidosis
• Common complications of ankylosing spondylitis(AS) include:
  • Acute anterior uveitis
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Psoriasis
  • Psychosocial  issues
  • Cardiovascular problems
  • Pulmonary problems
  • Osteopenia
  • Fractures
  • Neurologic manifestations
  • Renal manifestations

Due to recent biological treatment of spondyloarthropathies, complications of these medications are important, which included:

• Anti-TNF medications given during the management of spondyloarthropathy may lead to:
  • Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
  • Optic neuritis
  • Transverse myelitis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Infections

Prognosis

• It is hard to predict the lon-term outcome of the spondyloarthropathy and its treatment in each individual's life due to its variation among people, however it is obvious that its prognosis is better than other rheumatologic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis.
• At the onset of the disease, symptoms may be intermittent, unilateral and received by less aggressive treatment, though by the progression of the disease, symptoms may be gone constant and sever.
• Sever constant disability is not common among individuals with Spondyloarthropathies.
• Psychological assistance may be required due to the chronic feature of the disease.