Profile of Patients with Spondyloarthritis in Morocco.

Objectives: to describe the clinical and paraclinical profile of our population with spondyloarthritis and to investigate factors associated with active and severe disease.

Methods: A retrospective observational study, conducted in the rheumatology department at CHU Hassan II of Fez, analyzing the records of patients diagnosed as spondylarthritis during the period extending from January 2009 to June 2014. Patients having a spondyloarthritis associated with intestinal bowel disease and psoriasis, as well as reactive arthritis were excluded.

Results: we included 136 patients (86 men and 50 women, the mean age was 38.06 ± 13.46 years, diagnostic delay was 6 years and 3 months). Patients with the HLA-B27 allele numbered 7. The clinical symptomatology was dominated by axial involvement in 92.6% of cases, followed by peripheral damage in 35.3% of cases and entheseal involvement in 30.1% of cases. Uveitis was the most common extra-articular manifestation in 18.4% of cases. 54% of patients had active disease, 53% had disease with functional impairment, and 34% had severe disease.10.3% of patients had juvenile-onset, 24.1% patients had a coxitis. We didn't find a significant association between sanitation (availability of drinking water and the use of refrigerator) the diagnosis delay, HLA-B27 allele, smoking, and activity and severity disease. A significant association was found between the presence of coxitis and male sex (p = 0.005).

Conclusion: spondyloarthritis in our population still suffers from a delayed diagnosis with the frequency of active and severe forms.