Medpage Today reports on the challenges of diagnosing axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) according to experts including Dalit Ashany, MD,  rheumatologist at HSS.  

The diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) can be highly challenging because its hallmark symptom -- chronic back pain -- is experienced by some 20% of adults at some point in their lives.

One challenge in diagnosis is the possibility that the patient has not been referred to a rheumatologist. Because axSpA often is accompanied by nonspinal manifestations such as anterior uveitis, psoriasis, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), patients may have been seen by ophthalmologists, dermatologists, or gastroenterologists less experienced with the spinal disease.

"Patients are often not referred to a rheumatologist for many years, thus delaying their access to effective medications to control their pain and potentially alter their course of disease," said Dr. Ashany.

Read the full article at medpagetoday.com.