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Axial spondyloarthritis — SCE Rheumatology MCQ

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HardSpineAxial spondyloarthritisSCE Rheumatology

A 24-year-old rower reports inflammatory back pain, morning stiffness lasting over an hour, and improvement with exercise. He has alternating buttock pain and a family history of psoriasis. What is the most appropriate investigation?

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Correct answer: AMRI sacroiliac joints and inflammatory markers

The best answer is “MRI sacroiliac joints and inflammatory markers”. MRI sacroiliac joints and inflammatory markers most directly resolves the diagnostic or staging uncertainty at this point in the pathway; the other investigations answer different questions or have lower yield. The remaining choices—“Routine lumbar ultrasound, after safety review”, “CT abdomen for renal stones”, “No investigation because sport improves symptoms”, “Shoulder radiographs, after safety review”—are credible in related rheumatology presentations, but each addresses a different diagnosis, investigation, treatment sequence or complication and does not fit the decisive findings in this stem.

Reference: British Society for Rheumatology clinical guidelines: https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/pages/clinical-guidelines