Ankylosing Spondylitis Flashcards
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic progressive inflammatory arthropathy involving which joints?
Sacroiliac joints
Axial skeleton
Ankylosing spondylitis what type of axial spondylarthritis
Radiologic axial spondylarthritis characterised by radiological changes
Axial spondylarthritis can also occur in the absence of x-ray changes.
What is the name given to this type?
Non-radiographical axial spondylarthritis
Ankylosing Spondylitis is part of the seronegative spondyloarthropathies.
Name the 3 conditions
Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic arthritis and Reactive arthritis
Heterogenous group of conditions with overlapping clinical manifestations and association with the gene HLA-B27
What causes ankylosing spondylitis
Strong genetic link to HLA-B27 gene
Pathogenesis unclear
What are the 4 risk factors for ankylosing spondylitis
- Presence of HLA-B27 gene
- Family history of seronegative spondyloarthropathies
- Male sex
- Age (20-30 years old)
What are the clinical features of ankylosing spondylitis
Pain and stiffness in the lower back pain (verbral column)and buttock region (sacroiliac)
Worse with rest and improves with exercise
Worse in the morning
Develops over more than 3 months
Symptoms fluctuates with flare (periods of worsening symptoms)
Where is the pain and stiffness of ankylosing spondylitis located
Involves the sacroiliac joints and axial skeleton
Thus located in the lower back and buttock region
The pain and stiffness of Ankylosing Spondylitis is:
a) worse with rest; improves with exercise
b) worse with exericse; improves with rest
a) worse with rest; improves with exercise
The pain and stiffness of Ankylosing Spondylitis is:
a) worse in the morning
b) better in the morning
a) worse in the morning
A sign of ankylosing spondylitis is reduced forward flexion.
What test can be used to show this
Schober test
How is Ankylosing Spondylitis diagnosed
Based on typical clinical and radiological features
What 3 invesitgations can be used in Ankylosing Spondylitis
FBC + inflammatory markers
HLA testing
Imaging – X-ray and MRI
What are the x ray changes of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Presence of sacroiliitis (inflammation of the sacroiliac joints) – key diagnostic radiological feature
Squaring of the vertebral bodies
Development of syndesmophytes (areas of bone growth where the ligaments inset into the bone)
What is the key diagnostic radiological feature of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Presence of sacroiliitis (inflammation of the sacroiliac joints)
