Late onset undifferentiated seronegative spondyloarthropathy.

OBJECTIVE

To define the clinical spectrum of late onset undifferentiated seronegative spondyloarthropathy (uSpA) based on a large number of patients.

METHODS

All consecutive patients older than 45 years at the onset of SpA and not meeting criteria for any of the definite categories of the SpA complex seen in the 1988-1993 period were entered in a special register and were followed prospectively.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients (mean age at onset 56.9, range 46-72; mean age at the last visit 61.7, range 48-79) were studied. Of these, 12 had 3 or more clinical and/or radiological manifestations of SpA, while 7 showed only 2, and 4 only one. Of the 10 patients with peripheral arthritis, only 3 had the large pitting edema of the lower limbs described by Dubost and Sauvezie. Of the 4 patients with only one manifestation, 2 had peripheral enthesitis and 2 acute anterior uveitis.

CONCLUSION

The clinical spectrum of late onset uSpA is as wide as in children and young and middle aged adults.