Update on the Management of Spondyloarthritis in Asian Countries

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of interrelated but phenotypically distinct chronic inflammatory arthritis. To describe the management of SpA in Asian countries, we performed systematic literature searches through MEDLINE / PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar using the following keywords: spondyloarthritis, management, treatment, classification criteria, physical exercise, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, thalidomide, glucocorticoids, tumor necrosis factor blockers, bisphosphonates. Studies conducted in Asian countries in the past 3 years were included. Low quality evidences, which had too small sample size or lacked controlled group, were excluded. Through the analysis of the included literature, it was concluded that management of SpA in Asia has changed in recent years. More frequent uses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing SpA and successful uses of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers in active, refractory diseases have significantly improved the management of SpA in Asia. In addition, there are some characteristic clinical therapies in Asian countries. Thalidomide has been shown to be an effective and safe drug in the treatment of SpA patients. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a promising clinical therapy in the treatment of SpA. With these advances, the management of SpA has considerably progressed. But defining better strategies and techniques for early diagnosis and developing new treatment to prevent or delay the process of new bone formation remain the major challenges facing the rheumatologists in Asian countries.