2016 Novel Criteria for Early Classification of SpondyloArthritidies

The SpondyloArthritidies (SpA) are a group of chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by sacroiliitis, spondylitis, enthesitis, arthritis and dactylitis. They have a strong genetic back ground especially HLA-B27 positivity and familial aggregation. The Rheumatoid factor is usually negative in this group of diseases. Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is the prototype of this group and the other members are including: Reactive arthritis (formerly Reiter's syndrome), Psoriatic arthritis, Enteric (IBD-related) arthritis, Undifferentiated SpondyloArthritis and Juvenile SpondyloArthritis. Multiple classification criteria have been delivered for SpA. Some of the most important of them are including: Amor classification criteria, European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) classification criteria and Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria. The author of this letter wants to deliver a new common classification criteria for all of the SpondyloArthritidies presented in table A. I think classifying of SpA into axial, peripheral, non-radiographic and so on and delivery of separate classification criteria for them by ASAS can complicate the classification of SpA. For example I think nonradiographic axial SpA(nr-axSpA) is a case of Ankylosing spondylitis in early stage when the radiography cannot show sacroiliitis but by using MRI it can be detected very well.