Annals ofthe Rheumatic Diseases 1991; S: 117-119 117 MASTERCLASS Clinical cases from the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.50.2.117 on 1 February 1991. Downloaded from Series editors P J Maddison, A K Bhalla Spondylodiscitis and pseudarthrosis in a patient with enteropathic spondyloarthropathy A Cabin, D Robertson The seronegative spondyloarthropathies consist entheses leads to fibrosis and ossification of ofa group ofdisorders which includes idiopathic these structures and the formation of syn- Royal National Hospital (primary) ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile anky- desmophytes, which reduce mobility. A less for Rheumatic Diseases, losing spondylitis, reactive arthritis (or Reiter's common spinal complication of spondylitis is Bath syndrome), psoriatic arthritis, and spondylitis the development of erosive sclerotic lesions A Caln of inflammatory bowel disease (enteropathic of the vertebral bodies surrounding a disc Royal United Hospital, Bath spondyloarthropathy). The underlying features (spondylodiscitis). This article discusses the D Robertson of these disorders include a predilection to causes of discovertebral lesions in spondylo- Correspondence to: enthesopathy and spinal arthritis, with sacroiliac arthropathy and the relation between inflam- Dr A K Bhalla, joint involvement as well as peripheral arthritis. matory bowel disease and spondylitis. Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Extra-articular involvement of the eye, heart, Upper Borough Walls, mucous membrane, and skin may occur. In Bath BAI IRL. addition, there is strong familial aggregation Case report Bath medallion reproduced and a striking association with class I antigen The patient, a 48 year old man with ankylosing with permission ofthe Royal National Hospital for HLA-B27.1 2 spondylitis and Crohn's disease, was admitted Rheumatic Diseases, Bath. Chronic inflammation affecting the spinal to hospital in January 1990 with severe lower thoracic back pain. Ankylosing spondylitis was diagnosed in 1965. Since then he has had regular courses of physiotherapy both as an inpatient and out- patient because of low back ache and neck http://ard.bmj.com/ stiffness. He has had recurrent uveitis since 1971. Crohn's disease was diagnosed in 1972. He has had five bowel resections because of obstruction and is currently awaiting a further operation because of a 20 cm stricture in the terminal ileum. Nephrolithotomy was per- formed in 1981 because of renal calculus. on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Three years ago he developed lower thoracic spinal pain without any history of trauma. This became progressively more severe such that he required opiate analgesia for pain control. He was admitted to hospital in February 1989. Thoracic spine radiography showed evidence of discitis and vertebral end plate collapse at TO-l1 vertebrae. Technetium scan showed increased uptake in this area. Gallium scan was normal. His pain improved with rest, physio- therapy, and intramuscular diclofenac. He was readmitted in January 1990 because of worsening back pain. Pain was described as sharp and and knife-like with radiation to his abdomen. Drugs on admission were diclofenac intramuscularly daily, morphine sulphate 20 mg twice daily, prednisolone 15 mg daily. On eamination there was a marked thoracic kyphosis. He had tenderness over the lower thoracic vertebrae. Tomography showed widen- ing, irregularity, and sclerosis at the TI- 1I intervertebral space. There was a translucent defect through the posterior elements of Ti 1 Lateral tomogram ofTIO and TiI vertebrae showing an erosive sclerotic reaction and a defect (figure). through the posterior ariuLtion. A decision was made to fuse the spine at 118 Calin, Robertson TlO- 1 after recovery from the impending Most patients with discovertebral lesions abdominal operation. have back pain which, in the case of type III Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.50.2.117 on 1 February 1991. Downloaded from lesions, may rarely lead to neurological compli- cations." Patients, in whom such lesions were Discussion detected accidentally during radiological In spondylitis, acute back pain may result from examination, however, were followed up for 17 trauma or from discovertebral destruction years but remained asymptomatic.'2 For those (spondylodiscitis). Discovertebral lesions were with severe back pain immobilisation of the first reported in 1937 by Andersson,3 who affected segment with braces or spinal fusion described the destruction and sclerosis of the seems to be successful in relieving pain.4 disc bone border in the lumbar and thoracic About 20% of patients with inflammatory spine oftwo patients. In 1940 Edstrom described bowel disease have sacroiliitis and of these only such lesions occurring in a patient after a spell one fifth will develop widespread axial disease. of heavy manual work.4 In their comprehensive Peripheral arthritis occurs in 15-20% of patients analysis of such lesions Cawley et al have with inflammatory bowel disease and is often suggested that there are three types of dis- migratory, transient, non-destructive, and covertebral lesion.5 Type I lesion affects the oligoarticular. The sacroiliitis and axial disease, peripheral region of the discovertebral junction; but not peripheral arthritis, are HLA-B27 type II involves the central cartilaginous region associated. The spondylitis, unlike the peri- of the discovertebral junction; type III affects pheral arthritis, does not mimic the fluctuation both the central and peripheral areas of the in the bowel disease. discovertebral junction. The radiological pre- The causes of both Crohn's disease and valence of destructive lesions varies from 1% to ankylosing spondylitis are unknown. The coin- 28% in different series.5 6 cidence ofthese two rare disorders (symptomatic Types I and II lesions often occur in the early spondylitis is 30 times more common in patients phases of the disease, whereas type III lesions with Crohn's disease than in controls) suggests occur late in the disease and are uncommon in that there may be aetiological factors common non-ankylosed spines. The localised peripheral to both. There are differences, however, between lesion (type I) is often found in senile kyphotic primary ankylosing spondylitis and enteropathic spines, as described by Schmorl and Jung- spondylitis. The male predominance of primary hanns.7 Histologically the outer fibres of the ankylosing spondylitis (2-6:1) is not found in anulus fibrosus and the adjacent vertebra are the spondylitis associated with inflammatory replaced by vascular fibrous tissue. Osteoporosis bowel disease (1:1). HLA-B27 is present in only of the vertebrae aids in the collapse of the 50% of patients with enteropathic spondylitis vertebrae. Type II lesions, affecting the cartil- compared with close to 100% of patients with aginous end plates can be found in ankylosed or primary ankylosing spondylitis.'3 HLA-B27 is non-ankylosed spines. Their cause is unknown no more common in Crohn's disease than in but is thought to be related to vertebral osteo- control groups, except where ankylosing http://ard.bmj.com/ porosis producing focal bone loss in the sub- spondylitis is present as well. chondral area and permitting the disc contents The weight of evidence points to an environ- to herniate through the cartilaginous end plate mental factor rather than genetic factors as the into the vertebral body.5 6 In this regard, it is important aetiological agent in Crohn's disease. interesting to note that vertebral osteoporosis in The disease was not described until the early spondylitis may occur early on in the disease.8 part of this century. 4 There are large variations In addition, apophysial disease in in incidence spondylitis globally, with a tendency for on September 24, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. may increase forces across the discovertebral immigrants from Asia and Africa to acquire the junction, leading to breaks in the subchondral disease when they move to the Western world.'5 bone or cartilaginous end plate and subsequent There are well described clusters.'6 The inci- hernation of the disc contents into the vertebral dence of the disease has been changing, with body.6 steady increases in incidence described from Type III lesions, seen in patients with most centres'7 until a very recent report from advanced spondylitis, may follow trauma or the United States, where recorded new cases in heavy manual work, and there may be a fracture the 1980s have reduced dramatically.'8 If this through the ankylosed apophysial articulation observation is repeated elsewhere it is possible or an undisplaced, complete fracture of an that Crohn's disease may disappear, as it ankylosed segment.9 Isolated traumatic fractures appeared, without the cause being fully under- of the neural arch in non-spondylitis may be stood. A changing pattern of disease is also followed, some years later, by destructive recognised in ankylosing spondylitis.'9 lesions of the discovertebral junction.7 Occas- Certain environmental factors are known to sionally, type III lesions may occur in the influence Crohn's disease without necessarily absence of a fracture and be seen in non- being the primary aetiological factor. For ankylosed segments, where damage is the con- example, cigarette smoking is a feature of sequence of excessive forces across the seg- Crohn's disease, non-smoking of ulcerative ment.'0 The histology of type III lesions is colitis.20 Crohn's disease is rather