Overview of seronegative spondyloarthropathies

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Seronegative spondyloarthropathies (seronegative spondyloarthritides) share certain clinical characteristics (eg, inflammatory back pain, uveitis, gastrointestinal symptoms, rashes). Some are strongly associated with the human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) allele. Clinical and genetic similarities suggest that they also share similar causes or pathophysiologies. Rheumatoid factor (RF) is usually negative in the spondyloarthropathies (hence, why they are called seronegative spondyloarthropathies). They include ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other disorders.
Spondyloarthropathy can develop in association with gastrointestinal conditions (sometimes called enteropathic arthritis) such as inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal bypass surgery, or Whipple disease.
Juvenile-onset spondyloarthropathy is an asymmetric, mostly lower extremity spondyloarthropathy that begins most commonly in boys aged 7 to 16.
Spondyloarthropathy can also develop in people without characteristics of other specific spondyloarthropathies (undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy). Treatment of the arthritis of these other spondyloarthropathies is similar to the treatment of reactive arthritis.