Challenges in the diagnosis and management of SpA in Asia Pacific

Synopsis:

Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are a heterogenous group of inflammatory diseases with overlapping clinical features.  In this interactive symposium, the presenters will share their perspectives on the challenges in the diagnosis and management of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondylarthritis (AxSpA, including non-radiographic ax-SpA and or ankylosing spondylitis) within the Asia-Pacific area. Regional differences exist in the prevalence of both PsA and AxSpA and in the clinical presentation of these diseases. The latter may potentially contribute to delayed diagnosis (or underdiagnosis) and sub-optimal treatment of these patients. International recommendations for SpA, encourage a treat to target approach for both PsA and AxSpA, but some controversy remains as to which outcome measure/s should be used and which is practical for implementation in routine clinical practice. Finally, the presenters will discuss the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in the clinical care of both PsA and AxSpA patients.