Late onset spondylarthropathy: clinical and biological comparison with early onset patients

doi:10.1136/ard.56.3.176

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 1997;56:176-179; doi:10.1136/ard.56.3.176

Ann Rheum Dis 1997;56:176-179 ( March )

Concise reports

Late onset spondylarthropathy: clinical and biological comparison with early onset patients Didier Caplanne, Florence Tubach, Jean Marie Le Parc

Department of Rheumatology, Hôpital Ambroise Pare, Boulogne, France

Correspondence to: Professor J M Le Parc, Department of Rheumatology, Hopital Ambroise Pare, 9 Avenue Charles de Gaulle, 92104 Boulogne Cedex, France.

Accepted for publication 17 December 1996.

OBJECTIVE $---$ To compare the clinical, radiological, and biological profile of patients presenting late onset spondylarthropathy (LOSPA)with patients with early onset spondylarthropathy(EOSPA).
METHODS $---$ During the period April 1987 to April 1995 a retrospective chart review of inpatients and outpatients identified eight patientswith LOSPA. They were matched with 32 patients with EOSPA examinedduring the same period of time. Clinical, radiological, and biologicalsigns were compared. All patients fulfilled Amor criteria forspondylarthropathy.
RESULTS $---$ Mean age of patients with LOSPA was 65.1 years (range 58-72), and 26.6 years (range 11-40) in patients with EOSPA. The sexratio (female/male) was 5/3 in LOSPA and 9/23 in EOSPA (p = 0.007).Patients with LOSPA had more significantly cervical and dorsalpain (p = 0.002, p = 0.02 respectively), anterior chest wall involvement(p = 0.04), number of peripheral arthritis (p = 0.04), asepticosteitis (p = 0.004), and systemic symptoms : fever, fatigue,weight loss (p = 0.04). Mean (SD) erythrocyte sedimentation ratewas 87 (24) in LOSPA and 24 (35) in EOSPA patients (p = 0.001).Inflammatory bowel disease was diagnosed in three patients withEOSPA. A definite family history of SPA was found in 50% of patientswith LOSPA and in 31% of patients with EOSPA. A clear responseto NSAID was obtained in 62% of LOSPA patients and in 90.6% ofEOSPA patients (p = 0.05). Three LOSPA patients (two with Crohn'sdisease) not responding to NSAID were successfully treated withprednisone.
CONCLUSION $---$ The onset of spondylarthropathy is uncommon after 55 years. Patients with LOSPA, according to accepted international criteriapresent a different clinical and biological profile when comparedwith younger patients. These results suggests that age may influencethe presentation of SPA atonset.

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

Technorati What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

Fleischmann, R, Baumgartner, S W, Weisman, M H, Liu, T, White, B, Peloso, P (2006). Long term safety of etanercept in elderly subjects with rheumatic diseases. Ann Rheum Dis 65: 379-384 [Abstract] [Full Text]
Kane, D., Stafford, L., Bresnihan, B., FitzGerald, O. (2003). A prospective, clinical and radiological study of early psoriatic arthritis: an early synovitis clinic experience. Rheumatology (Oxford) 42: 1460-1468 [Abstract] [Full Text]
Punzi, L., Pianon, M., Rossini, P., Schiavon, F., Gambari, P. F. (1999). Clinical and laboratory manifestations of elderly onset psoriatic arthritis: a comparison with younger onset disease. Ann Rheum Dis 58: 226-229 [Abstract] [Full Text]

Services

Citing Articles

Google Scholar

PubMed

Topic Collections

Bookmark with

What's this?

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.