In simple words: Enteropathic arthritis is a type of arthritis that occurs along with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It causes joint pain, stiffness, and sometimes problems moving the joints. You might also have digestive issues like belly pain and diarrhea.

Enteropathic arthropathies refers to an autoimmune joint disease or disorder associated with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, that results in inflammation and causes joint deformity, pain, and loss of function.It is categorized as a seronegative spondyloarthropathy, along with reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and idiopathic ankylosing spondylitis. Other gastrointestinal disorders like Whipple’s disease, celiac disease, and intestinal bypass surgery for severe obesity can also cause joint involvement.

Example 1: A 30-year-old male with a history of Crohn's disease presents with complaints of joint pain and stiffness in his knees and ankles, along with abdominal pain and diarrhea. After examination and testing (including blood tests and imaging), he is diagnosed with enteropathic arthropathy., A 45-year-old female with ulcerative colitis experiences pain and swelling in her wrists and fingers. Further evaluation reveals she has developed enteropathic arthropathy secondary to her colitis., A patient who underwent intestinal bypass surgery for obesity develops joint pain in their hips and shoulders. They are diagnosed with enteropathic arthropathy related to the surgery.

Documentation should include details of the patient's history, physical examination findings, X-ray results, laboratory test results (including inflammatory markers, HLA-B27 if tested, and stool culture results), synovial fluid analysis if performed, and colonoscopy findings to establish IBD diagnosis.The type, location, and laterality of joint involvement should also be documented.