What does seronegative arthropathy mean?

If you’re seronegative for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you may or may not have RA. It can make it harder to get an RA diagnosis. Being seronegative for RA means that a blood test doesn’t find certain antibodies your body typically makes when you have the condition.

How is seronegative arthritis treated?

While spondyloarthritis has its own approved set of treatments, seropositive and seronegative RA are treated the same way. Both use disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologics, corticosteroids, and anti-inflammatory NSAID painkillers like aspirin.

Can seronegative inflammatory arthritis be cured?

Unfortunately, like RA, spondyloarthritis disorders have no cure. However, symptoms can be managed and damage prevented through treatments such as: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics.

Is seronegative arthritis an autoimmune disease?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s joints and other parts of the body. Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis is a type of rheumatoid arthritis in which certain antibodies are not present in the blood (most cases of RA are seropositive — when antibodies are present in the blood).

Is arthritis and arthropathy the same?

Arthropathy is a joint disease, of which arthritis is a type. Arthropathies can be associated with a hematologic (blood) disorder or an infection, such as Lyme disease.

Can seronegative arthritis be misdiagnosed?

It is even possible to be misdiagnosed at first, before more distinguishing features develop. Rheumatic diseases are among the best examples of this. There are myriad rheumatic diseases and many of them mimic the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Is rheumatoid arthritis a death sentence?

A person cannot die from RA. However, the widespread inflammation that characterizes the condition can lead to life-threatening complications. According to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network, a person with RA may have a lifespan that is approximately 10, or at most 15, years shorter than average.