Rheumatic manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases: A study from the Middle East

Objective To examine the prevalence of rheumatic manifestations among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods This prospective study enrolled patients with IBD in whom the diagnosis and extent of IBD were confirmed by colonoscopy and histopathology. Patients were interviewed and examined by a rheumatologist. A complete rheumatological examination, X-rays of the lumbosacral and sacroiliac joints and HLA-B27 blood tests were performed. Results A total of 127 adult patients were recruited: 46 (36.2%) with Crohn's disease (CD) and 81 (63.8%) with ulcerative colitis (UC). Rheumatic manifestations of any type were present in 57.5% (73 of 127 patients) with no significant differences between CD and UC. Peripheral manifestations were present in 43.3% (55 of 127 patients), four patients (3.1%) had axial arthritis alone and 14 patients (11.0%) had both types. Among those with peripheral manifestations, five patients (7.2%) had type 1 arthritis (pauciarticular) and one patient (1.4%) had type 2 arthritis (polyarticular). A higher proportion of patients with CD had axial manifestations with or without peripheral manifestations (eight of 46; 17.4%) compared with patients with UC (10 of 81; 12.3%), but no difference was observed in patients with peripheral manifestations alone. Conclusions Rheumatic manifestations in patients with IBD in Qatar are more prevalent than in other regions of the world. Peripheral manifestations were more prevalent than axial.