[Axial spondyloarthritis]

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a common name for the non-radiographic form of the disease and radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, known as ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The disease is typically manifested at a young age, characterized by affection of axial skeleton, and in the most severe form can lead to complete ankylosis of the spine. Etiology of diseases have not yet been clarified, however, the genetic background, especially the binding to HLA-B27 antigen, is obvious. Clinical manifestations are dominated by chronic pain in the lower pain or buttocks that occurred in young age, in a large proportion of patients having the character of so-called inflammatory pain. In addition to the axial skeleton, axSpA there is also common affection of peripheral skeleton in the form of enthesitis, arthritis, and less often dactylitis. At present, enthesitis is considered as a hallmark of the entire spondyloarthritis group. Typical for axSpA is the frequent presence of extraskeletal manifestations in the form of uveitis, idiopathic intestinal inflammation and psoriasis. In the axSpA diagnosis, significant advances have been made in recent years in the field of imaging techniques. Magnetic resonance imaging can also identify the early stage of the disease before the development of structural lesions. Also, the newer concepts of the entire spondyloarthritis group, based on the 2009 ASAS (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society) classification criteria, contributed to early diagnosis of the disease, and in particular to the underlying importance of association with HLA-B27 antigen and the presence of peripheral and non-articular manifestations. Non-steroidal anti-rheumatic drugs (NSAIDs) and TNFα blockers are effective axSpA therapy, which has been recently enhanced by interleukin 17 blockade (IL17).Key words: axial spondyloarthritis - biological treatment - enthesitis - extraarticular manifestations - magnetic resonance imaging - non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis - sacroiliitis.