Objectives
The aim of our study is to describe the characteristics of women with spondyloarthritis though a comparison with men
Methods
This is a retrospective observational study, conducted in the rheumatology department at CHU Hassan II Fez, analyzing the records of patients diagnosed spondyloarthritis during the period extending from January 2009 to June 2014
We realized a descriptive study of our patients then we compared clinical and epidemiological profil of spondyloarthritis in both sex to emphasize the characteristics of morrocan women spondyloarthritis
Results
A 136 patients were included, 86 men and 50 women. The mean age was 38,44+/-13,5 years with an average diagnostic delay of 4,71+/-5 years. Clinical symptomatology was dominated by axial involvement dorsolombalgie in 90,4% of cases
Uveitis was the extra-articular manifestation most common in 5,1% of cases. 61,8% of patients had active disease, and 46,3% had severe disease.10,3% of patients had juvenile-onset, 24.1% patients had a hip involvement
The comparison of women and men objectified significant association between female sex and late onset of disease (p<0,001), illiteracy (p=0,021), family antecedent of spondyloarthrtitis (p=0,025), arthritis (p=0,049), the use of sulfasalzine and methotrexate (p=0,042, p=0,006 respectively)
After logistic regression analysis the female sex was associated with late onset of disease (p<0,001, OR=0,93; IC=0,89–0,96) and the use of methotrexate (p=0,018, OR=0,14;IC=0,02–0,71) whereas male sex was associated with hip involvement (p=0,02, OR=3,3; IC=1,18–13,03) and tabac (p=0,004, OR=22,47; IC=2,76–182)
Conclusions
Women with AS appear to have both similarities and differences in disease expression when compared with men with spondyloarthritis. The causes of the differences are still unknown, although both sex and gender factors may explain some of them