Spine and sacroiliac joint involvement in newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease patients - clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings from a population-based cohort.

One-in-six newly diagnosed IBD patients had MRI findings indicative of axSpA. As 40% of these patients were asymptomatic, this suggests that axSpA is underdiagnosed in early IBD. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to ensure early detection of axial inflammation and to enable optimal therapy preventing future structural damage and disability.