Expert consensus: practical algorithms for management of inflammatory bowel disease patients presenting with back pain or peripheral arthropathies

Background Spondyloarthritis is the most frequent extra-intestinal manifestation of IBD. Aim To present simple strategies to identify and differentiate inflammatory joint pain in IBD patients. Methods A panel of Belgian gastroenterologists and rheumatologists developed seven algorithms for IBD patients with joint symptoms based on a Delphi exercise conducted between April and December 2016. Here, we focus on referral strategies for patients with chronic back pain (evidence-based strategy), large joint monoarthritis, oligo- or polyarticular arthritis or arthralgia (based on expert opinion). We also present management tools for IBD patients with acute back pain and small joint monoarthritis (Supplementary file). Results The reported algorithm for IBD patients with chronic back pain uses basic clinical criteria to identify which patients should be referred to the emergency room (spondylodiscitis), physical medicine and rehabilitation (mechanical back pain) or rheumatologist (spondyloarthritis). IBD patients with large joint monoarthritis should be referred to emergency room if septic arthritis is suspected; in other patients, blood analyses and referral to a rheumatologist for articular puncture with evacuation of synovial fluid are recommended. The analysis of synovial fluid allows for identification of non-inflammatory (e.g., osteoarthritis) and inflammatory (e.g., [pseudo]-gout, peripheral spondyloarthritis and Borrelia burgdorferi arthritis) conditions. In patients with inflammatory oligoarticular or polyarticular arthralgia, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, concomitant therapies, anti-nuclear factor and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels should be evaluated; in anti-tumour necrosis factor-treated patients, a drug-induced lupus-like syndrome should be considered. Conclusions We propose straightforward strategies for IBD patients with joint symptoms, which are specific enough to select initial treatment and referral pattern.