Gender and spondyloarthropathy-associated uveitis.

Wendy M Smith

doi:10.1155/2013/928264

Abstract

Spondyloarthropathies encompass a group of inflammatory diseases with arthritis and other features such as enthesitis and dermatologic and gastrointestinal involvement. Up to 37% of spondyloarthropathy patients may develop uveitis which is typically bilateral asynchronous acute anterior uveitis. Spondyloarthropathies with and without uveitis are more prevalent among males; the reasons for gender imbalance are unclear. This review will focus on gender differences in the prevalence, incidence, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of uveitis associated with spondyloarthropathies.

Highlights

Spondyloarthropathies are a group of inflammatory diseases with overlapping features including arthritis of the axial skeleton and/or peripheral joints, inflammatory back pain, enthesitis, and dermatologic and gastrointestinal involvement
This review will focus on gender differences in the prevalence, incidence, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of uveitis in spondyloarthropathies
Most spondyloarthropathy patients are positive for the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 allele, the prevalence varies: 90% ankylosing spondylitis, 40–80% reactive arthritis, 40–50% psoriatic arthritis, 35–75% enteropathic arthritis, and 70% undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy [1, 2]

Summary

Introduction

Spondyloarthropathies are a group of inflammatory diseases with overlapping features including arthritis of the axial skeleton and/or peripheral joints, inflammatory back pain, enthesitis, and dermatologic and gastrointestinal involvement. The majority of these syndromes are more prevalent in males the reasons for this gender imbalance are unclear. This review will focus on gender differences in the prevalence, incidence, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of uveitis in spondyloarthropathies. Uveitis may occur in up to 37% of spondyloarthropathy patients [1, 2] and typically manifests as bilateral asynchronous acute anterior uveitis posterior segment manifestations including vitritis, papillitis, and cystoid macular edema may occur in 20–30% of cases [3, 4]. Since most patients with spondyloarthropathies and uveitis are HLA-B27 positive, studies assessing the demographics, clinical course, management, complication rates, and prognosis generally make comparisons to HLA-B27-negative uveitis patients

Gender Differences in Prevalence and Incidence

Gender Differences in Clinical Manifestations

Gender Differences in Treatment and Prognosis

Possible Explanations for the Gender Differences

Findings

Conclusion