ankylosing spondilitis Flashcards
what is ankylosing spondylitis?
- a type of spondyloarthropathy
- its a chronic, autoimmune, systemic inflammatory disorder that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints, causing them to fuse over time
what are the sacroiliac joints?
joints that link your pelvis and lower spine
what causes ankylosing spondylitis?
90% of the time it’s HLA-B27
who does ankylosing spondylitis usually affect?
- men
- late adolescence or early adulthood
how does AS often present?
- lower back pain
- patient may have bad posture (lean forward)
- arthritis in hips and knees
- enthesitis
what is enthesitis?
-painful inflammation where a tendon joins the bone
where is enthesitis commonly found?
- top of shin bone
- behind heel
- under heel
- where ribs join breast bone
what are common investigations for ankylosing spondylitis?
Xray
MRI
Blood tests
what can be seen on an Xray of someone with AS?
- it may be normal
- may show sclerosing and fusion of sacroiliac joints and syndesmophytes (which may produce bamboo spine)
what is the treatment for ankylosing spondylitis?
- physiotherapy and exercise
- NSAIDs
- Anti- TNF inhibitors for more agressive disease
- DMARDs to treat the arthritis (doesnt help the AS though)
- Surgery may need to be done e.g. hip replacement
what is the treatment for ankylosing spondylitis?
- physiotherapy and exercise
- NSAIDs
- Anti- TNF inhibitors for more agressive disease
- DMARDs to treat the arthritis (doesnt help the AS though)
- Surgery may need to be done e.g. hip replacement
what extra articular disease may AS present with?
‘A’ disease
- Axial (causes pain in back)
- Arthritis
- Uveitis
- Aortic regurgitation
- Apical fibrosis
- Amyloidosis/ Iga nephropathy
- Achilles tendinitis
- Plantar fascilitis (pain around heel)
what is an early sign of ankylosing spondylitis on an Xray?
-syndesmophytes
