Subclinical sacroiliitis detected by abdominopelvic computed tomography in Korean patients with Crohn’s disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sacroiliitis is a frequent extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of sacroiliitis using a validated screening tool based on abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) in Korean patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and examine potential associations between clinical characteristics and sacroiliitis. METHODS: One hundred five patients with CD undergoing APCT for any indication at an IBD clinic were matched 1:1 for age and sex with 105 controls without underlying chronic illnesses. Using a validated APCT screening tool that defines sacroiliitis as either ankylosis or a total erosion score (TES) ≥ 3, all computed tomography scans were assessed by two independent, blinded radiologists. We compared the prevalence of sacroiliitis between CD patients and controls and clinical characteristics between CD patients with and without sacroiliitis. RESULTS: The prevalence of sacroiliitis was significantly higher in CD patients than in controls (13.3% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.030). All subjects with sacroiliitis had a TES ≥ 3, but no ankylosis. The assessment of sacroiliitis in APCT showed excellent interreader reliability (Cohen’s kappa = 0.933 for presence of sacroiliitis). Sacroiliitis in CD patients was bilateral and asymptomatic. There were no significant associations between sacroiliitis and any demographic data or clinical characteristics in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of APCT-detected sacroiliitis in CD patients was higher than that in controls, but the condition was asymptomatic. The clinical significance of asymptomatic sacroiliitis in Korean CD patients remains unclear.