ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

SUMMARY

1. Ankylosing means fusing, while spondylitis means inflammation of the spine.

2. AS is a seronegative systemic disease marked by ascending axial inflammation which progresses to spinal and SI joint fusion resulting in a radiographic bamboo spine.

3. Age of onset: 20-30 years, affects men more than women.

4. Patients have significant morning stiffness/pain, which improves with activity, assoc. with symptomatic & painful sacroilitis.

5. Extra-articular manifestations: iritis/uveitis (about 1/3 of patients), conjunctivitis, IHD, aortic insufficiency/aortitis, apical pulmonary fibrosis, lgA nephropathy, urethritis/prostatitis.

6. Iritis or anterior uveitis may precede sacroiliitis and usually presents as unilateral pain, photophobia, and increased lacrimation.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].