| The spondylitis usually strikes between 20 and 30 | | | | Symptoms |
| years old it affects more men than women. | | | | * Pain in the lower back that is worse at night, in |
| There also a variant of the disease that manifests | | | | the morning or after a period of inactivity |
| at an early age. | | | | * Stiffness and limited motion in the lower back |
| Ankylosing Spondylitis is one of the most | | | | * Stiffness and pain in the hip |
| common forms of espondilartropatias. According | | | | * Limited expansion of the chest |
| to study blood donors in the city of Berlin, it is | | | | * Limited range of motion, especially involving |
| estimated that approximately 1.9% of the | | | | spine and hips |
| German population suffers from this disease. It is | | | | * Joint pain and joint swelling in the shoulders, |
| not known whether this figure can be projected | | | | knees and ankles |
| to the rest of the world population, but the | | | | * Pain in the neck |
| probability is quite high. In many cases the disease | | | | * Heel pain |
| presents with symptoms very mild, making it | | | | * Chronic stooping to relieve symptoms |
| very difficult diagnosis and statistics impossibly | | | | * Fatigue |
| relevant. The German mentioned Morbus | | | | * Mild fever |
| Bechterew 100,000 to 150,000 cases diagnosed in | | | | * Loss of appetite |
| the country. | | | | * Weight loss |
| Formerly was believed that the disease occurs | | | | * Eye inflammation |
| frequently in the tripledes men than in women. | | | | Exams and Tests |
| This error occurs because the disease occurs with | | | | The physical examination and characteristic |
| milder symptoms in women than in men at least | | | | symptoms are signs of limited movement of the |
| as regard to ossification or hardening of the spine. | | | | spine or chest expansion. |
| The Early symptoms usually appear between 20 | | | | The tests include: |
| and 25 years of age and only 5% of cases after | | | | * An examination of HLA-B27 positive |
| age 40. | | | | * An X-ray radiography of the spine or pelvis |
| The emergence of the disease is closely | | | | shows characteristic findings |
| associated with HLA-B27, an antigen appears to | | | | * The erythrocyte sedimentation rate may or |
| play a role very important in immune system | | | | may not be high |
| function. For this reason it is assumed this is a bad | | | | * A CBC may show mild anemia |
| inheritance. While the HLA-B27 gene is better | | | | IMPACT ON POPULATION |
| known in this context, one can not rule out the | | | | It affects approximately 1 in 1,000. Typically |
| possibility that other genes also are involved in the | | | | begins in adolescence or young adulthood and its |
| hereditary transmission of the disease. | | | | incidence is higher in men than in women |
| Some of the pioneers in the investigation of | | | | presenting these, in addition, a milder illness. Its |
| ankylosing spondylitis were Wladimir Bechterew, | | | | incidence varies in different racial groups. |
| Pierre Marie, Andre Leri and Adolf von Strumpell. | | | | |