Late-onset spondyloarthritis: a study of 133 patients in Dakar, Senegal

Reports of late-onset spondyloarthritis in sub-Saharan Africa are sparse. This series allows us to describe the characteristics of this disease in Senegal. This is a retrospective study conducted in the Rheumatology Department of the Dantec University Hospital (Dakar) where we reviewed records of spondyloarthritis cases. Its diagnosis met the modified ASAS and New York criteria. Late-onset was defined as after the age of 55 years. During the study period, the department managed 133 late-onset patients, or 38% of all spondyloarthritis cases (350). Age ranged from 65 to 74 years, with a mean of 66. HLA B 27 phenotyping was performed in 89 patients; 39 patients were HLA B27 positive (29%). The treatments were based on DMARDs (salazopyrin and methotrexate).