- Discussion:
    - associated with a peripheral arthritis, which reflects activity of bowel disease;
    - frequently associated with erythema nodosum;
    - large joint oligoarthritis occurs in 10 to 20 % of pts, usually during flares of the bowel disease;
    - fevers, synovitis, & vesiculopustular skin lesions may follow intestinal bypass surgery;
    - some patients will develop spondylitis which acts independently of  bowel dz;
    - associated conditions:
           - pyoderma gangrenosum;

- Labs:
    - most affected patients are HLA-B27 positive;
    - cultures of blood and genital secretions are negative