Which treatment is recommended for peripheral arthritis with no axial involvement in enteropathic arthritis?

• A. Corticosteroids for peripheral symptoms with no spine involvement
• B. Corticosteroids for axial symptoms
• C. NSAIDs only
• D. Antibiotics

Answer: (A)

In enteropathic arthritis, when the arthritis pattern is peripheral and there is no axial (spine) involvement, corticosteroids are an appropriate option to rapidly control joint inflammation. They can reduce swelling and pain in affected peripheral joints and are particularly useful when GI disease makes NSAIDs less favorable. NSAIDs, while helpful for some inflammatory joint conditions, can aggravate inflammatory bowel disease, so relying on them alone is not ideal here. Antibiotics don’t address inflammatory joint pathology, and treating only with antibiotics would not control the autoimmune joint inflammation seen in enteropathic arthritis. If peripheral symptoms persist or flare, additional options like disease-modifying agents or biologics may be considered, but for a peripheral-only picture, corticosteroids provide effective, targeted control of joint inflammation without addressing the spine.