Inflammatory Bowel Disease Related Joint Manifestations: Incidence, Types, Relation to Disease Activity and Types of Treatment

Background Two chronic gastrointestinal disorders that make up inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The disease has extraintestinal affection including articular which is the most common, ocular, dermatologic, pulmonary, biliary and haemtologic. Purpose of the study: The study aimed to identify incidence and types of musculoskeletal symptoms associated with IBD; relation to IBD activity, lines of treatment used and efficacy of drugs in prevention and treatment of these joint manifestations. Methods A cross-sectional hospital-based study conducted on 150 patients diagnosed with IBD based on clinical, laboratory, radiological, endoscopic and histopathological data. Detailed history, examination and complete investigations including colonoscopy, histopathology, pelvic and lumbosacral x-ray were performed. Results A total of 150 patients were included, 131 patients had UC, 19 patients had CD, 50 (33.3%) patients had joint affection, and 100 (66.7%) patients didn't have joint affection. A total of 23 (46%) patients had axial affection, and 20 (40%) patients had peripheral affection. Meanwhile, 7 (14%) patients had both affections. Majority (60%) of patients had less than five affected joints, and 20 (40%) patients had more than five joints affection. At the same time, 43 (86%) patients had no peripheral symptoms. Conclusion Joint manifestations fairly common in patients with IBD (33.3%). Patients with longer duration of the disease, female gender and more active severe disease were more liable to develop joint affection. Type of IBD, either CD or UC, and its lines of therapy had no correlation with occurrence of joint manifestations.