Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Sex differences in clinical and imaging characteristics of axial juvenile spondyloarthritis
Authors' conclusion
In a large multicentre axJSpA cohort, males were significantly more likely to have clinical and MRI features of inflammatory sacroiliitis at the time axial disease was first diagnosed.
Study context
- Population
- Youths aged <18 years with physician-diagnosed juvenile SpA fulfilling classification criteria for axial juvenile spondyloarthritis (axJSpA); data from time axial disease first diagnosed67.1% male
- Participants
- 143 participants
- Exposure
- Males vs females
- Outcome
- Association of sex with disease manifestations, patient-reported outcomes and characteristic SIJ MRI lesions
- Follow-up
- Time axial disease was first diagnosed
Methodological detailsinternational, multicentre, multivariable logistic regression
- International
- Multicentre
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
SIJ MRI inflammatory lesions
Males vs FemalesOdds ratio (95% CI)
Unequivocal inflammatory lesions
4.86(1.37–17.32)
Bone marrow oedema
4.13(1.17–14.62)
Pelvic enthesitis
5.23(1.39–19.61)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Clinical features
- Males had significantly greater HLA-B27 positivity, hip/groin stiffness and inflammatory marker elevation
- No differences in peripheral arthritis, enthesitis or patient-reported outcomes
Original publication
Sex differences in clinical and imaging characteristics of axial juvenile spondyloarthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 3 March 2026. doi:10.
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