Enthesitis | |
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Typical joint showing the entheses | |
Specialty | Rheumatology |
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Enthesitis is inflammation of the entheses (singular: enthesis), the sites where tendons, ligaments and joint capsules attach to bones.[1][2]
It is a type of enthesopathy, meaning any pathologic condition of the entheses, with or without inflammation. There are some cases of isolated, primary enthesitis which are very poorly studied and understood. It is known to be associated with other autoimmune diseases, like spondyloarthropathies and psoriasis (thought to often precede psoriatic arthritis). A common autoimmune enthesitis is at the heel, where the Achilles tendon attaches to the calcaneus.
It is associated with HLA B27 arthropathies, such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and reactive arthritis.[3][4]