Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Can rheumatologists unequivocally diagnose axial spondyloarthritis in patients with chronic back pain of less than 2 years duration? Primary outcome of the 2-year SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) cohort
Authors' conclusion
A diagnosis of d-axSpA can be reliably made in nearly one-third of patients with CBP referred to the rheumatologist, but diagnostic uncertainty may persist in 5%-30% after 2y.
Study context
- Population
- Patients (<45 years) with chronic back pain (≥3 months, ≤2y) of unknown origin referred to the rheumatologist
- Participants
- 552 patients
- Outcome
- axSpA diagnosis with level of confidence ≥7 (definite axSpA)
- Follow-up
- 2y
Methodological detailsEuropean cohort, repeated assessments
- European cohort
- Repeated assessments
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Definite axSpA diagnosis
Definite axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) at 2y
165
30%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Definite axSpA at baseline
- Definite axSpA at baseline
- 175 (32%)
Change in diagnosis from baseline to 2y
- Baseline definite axSpA revised
- 5%
- Gained definite axSpA
- 8%
- Diagnostic uncertainty persisted
- 30%
Predictors of 2y definite axSpA vs definite non-axSpA
- HLA-B27+ and baseline sacroiliitis imaging discriminated best
Patients who developed MRI-sacroiliitis
- HLA-B27+
- 7/8
- Male
- 5/8
Original publication
Can rheumatologists unequivocally diagnose axial spondyloarthritis in patients with chronic back pain of less than 2 years duration? Primary outcome of the 2-year SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) cohort. Ann Rheum Dis. Published 11 April 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →