[Spondylarthropathies or ossifying polyenthesitis. Scintigraphic and scanographic evidence]

Ossifying enthesites present an undeniable diagnostic value in every chronic inflammatory rheumatism at an early stage, not only in adults but also in children. Bony scintigraphy discovers them in most localizations at a preradiological stage, as soon as they cause pain. The scanner examination enables to follow the anatomical evolution of the ossifications. It is perfectly suitable for the study of sacro-iliac and interapophyseal joints. Ossifying enthesites, the evolution of which spreads over several years, often depend on mechanical, professional or athletic constraints. Ossifying enthesitis is a common characteristics of "classic" spondylo-arthropathies which are all ossifying polyenthesites: ankylosing spondylarthritis, psoriasic rheumatism, rheumatism of enteropathies, Fiessinger-Leroy-Reiter syndrome and juvenile spondylo-arthropathies.