Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

This is a prospective study analyzing 52 asymptomatic, consecutive patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), who submitted to a pulmonary investigation that included plain chest radiography, pulmonary function test (PFT), and thoracic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). The results were compared according to sex, race, dorsal spine involvement, thoracic diameter, smoking status, and HLA-B27. There were four patients (8%) with an altered plain chest radiograph. PFT presented a restrictive pattern in 52% of the patients. Thoracic HRCT showed abnormalities in 21 patients (40%), predominantly nonspecific linear parenchymal opacities (19%), lymphadenopathy (12%), emphysema (10%), bronchiectasis (8%), and pleural involvement (8%). Linear parenchymal opacities were associated with a smoking history (p=0.026) and dorsal spine involvement (p=0.032). HLA-B27 was not associated with any abnormality. A lower thoracic diameter was observed in patients with dorsal spine involvement (p=0.0001), restrictive pattern at PFT (p=0.023), and linear parenchymal opacities (p=0.015). The study concluded that nonspecific subclinical pulmonary involvement is frequent in AS.     

Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis.

Thirty two patients with ankylosing spondylitis were investigated with a set of pulmonary function tests and the results compared with those for a control population. The patients had no complaints about lung symptoms and their chest radiographs were normal. The main pathological findings were reduced lung volumes, a raised closing volume/vital capacity ratio, and a decreased volumic airway conductance. The lung volume reduction correlated with disease duration, thoracic mobility, and degree of acute phase reaction. The stiff spondylitic thorax probably makes the main contribution to the impairment of lung function in these patients, but the findings in this study also suggest an involvement of the small airways. This type of pulmonary function testing seems valuable even in patients with ankylosing spondylitis without lung symptoms and it might be used as a tool in the staging of the disease, to evaluate treatment and to differentiate from fibrosis.     

Hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

Hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common and disabling problem. The clinical and x-ray records of 87 patients with definite AS (Rome criteria) were examined to define and characterize their hip disease. Clinical hip disease was present in 33 cases (38%), was usually bilateral (91%), and tended to begin early in the disease course; it was the cause of 50% of the Class III and IV disability in the entire study group. Typical findings included regional pain, limitation of motion, muscle atrophy, and flexion contractures. Radiologic hip abnormalities occurred in 42 cases (48%). The radiographic pattern was distinctive when compared to that in two control groups and included axial migration of the femoral head (63%), concentric joint space narrowing (50%), rufflike femoral osteophytosis (36%), and protrusio acetabuli (30%). Eight patients required bilateral hip surgery. Paraarticular ossification occurred in 8 of 16 replaced hips; in 5 of 8 hips it caused clinical immobility. This potentially serious complication may limit the usefulness of hip arthroplasty in some AS patients.     

Cardiac involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a rheumatic disease that affects the axial skeleton and has predilection for young men. Of its extraarticular manifestations, the cardiac involvement, reported up to 48%, has been pointed out in recent years. It seems to exist a racial variation in the features of the spondylitis and since most of the studies have been performed in northern countries therefore it appears inadequate to extrapolate the conclusions of such studies to our society. We studied 23 patients with definitive diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. All of them had a complete physical examination, electrocardiography and X-ray of the chest; eight patients underwent a Holter study of 24 hours and seven patients were examined by echocardiography. The mean age of the group was 36 years; there were 21 men and two women. The mean duration of the rheumatic disease was 11.5 years. In only 4 (17.4%) of the patients we found cardiac involvement that would not be related to another etiology. By the clinic examination we found two patients with isolated aortic insufficiency; one case had a right bundle branch block. The Holter study did not show modifications, except in the one with isolated aortic insufficiency and right bundle branch block, in whom this block became of variable degree. The echocardiographic study showed the mentioned aortic valvular lesions and did reveal the same lesion in another patient in which the other studies were normal. It is emphasized that it is adequate to search for signs of ankylosing spondylitis in every patient with isolated aortic insufficiency or/and conduction disturbances of unknown etiology and also to performe cardiac careful in each patient with ankylosing spondylitis examination.     

Cervical spine involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

Our objective was to study cervical spine involvement in a Moroccan population of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and evaluate correlations with disease symptomatic and structural severity. Patients were prospectively enrolled for a 1-year period. Clinical, biological, and radiological data were collected. The risk of cervical spine involvement was estimated using the Kaplan–Maier method. Sixty-one patients were enrolled: 38 males (62.2%) and 23 females of mean (SD) age 35.1 years [11] (range 17–66). The mean disease duration was 10.6 years [7] (0.5–30). Forty-three patients (70.4%) had a history of neck pain. Radiological involvement was present in 33 cases (54%). The concordance between clinical and radiological involvement was statistically significant (κ=0.49; P<10^?6). The risk of cervical spine involvement with regard to disease duration showed that 19.6% of patients had radiological involvement after 5 years, 29.9% after 10 years, 45.1% after 15 years and 70.0% after 20 years. Comparison between patients with and without cervical spine radiological involvement showed no difference in age of onset or sex. There was statistical difference in symptomatic severity parameters (Schöber, chest expansion, BASMI, BASFI, BASDI, BASG) and structural severity parameters (lumbar syndesmophytes score, BASRI). Our study confirms the greater severity of AS in North African countries. Cervical spine involvement increases with age and disease duration in AS and is more frequent in symptomatic and structural severe forms of the disease.     

Pulmonary fibrosis and ankylosing spondylitis

The authors report two new cases of pulmonary fibrosis associated with ankylosing spondylitis. The clinical, radiological and histological characteristics of this fibrosis are described. Various pathogenic hypotheses which could explain the onset of this fibrosis are envisaged.     

强直性脊柱炎患者肺部表现的高分辨CT特征及临床

目的研究强直性脊柱炎(anky losing spondy litis,A S)患者肺部高分辨CT(HRCT)表现及其临床特征。方法43例确诊A S患者分别进行肺HRCT、肺部X线平片、肺功能检查,并结合临床特征对比分析。结果43例A S患者中28例(65%)发现有肺HRCT异常,最常见的表现为非特异性间质改变20/43(46.5%),4例(9.3%)为间质性肺病(ILD),3例(7.0%)为上叶纤维化,每例患者可有1种以上病变表现。肺功能有16/43(23.3%)表现轻度限制性通气功能障碍,无DLCO下降。肺HRCT异常与不同病程、骶髂关节炎严重度、肺功能均无统计学相关。结论A S病人的肺部表现不少见,通过肺HRCT可以早期发现。     

Management of hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatologic disease characterized by inflammation and progressive structural damage of the affected joints. Hip involvement often results in severe deformities and significant impairment on function. Although, tremendous progress has been made in conservative management for AS, effective prevention strategies for hip involvement and long-term need for total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain indefinite. When hip involvement has progressed to intractable pain and disability, THA is still the most effective treatment strategy to relieve pain and restore function. However, certain AS-specific problems regarding “preoperative preparation,” “intraoperative difficulties,” “perioperative pharmacological management,” “postoperative physiotherapy,” “operation benefits,” and “operation complications” need more concern and further discussion.     

Cervical spine involvement in longstanding ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the degree of ossification and the frequency of ankylosis between the atlas and the dens of the axis in patients with longstanding ankylosing spondylitis (AS), to assess radiological involvement of the cervical spine, and to determine their correlations with structural severity and clinical variables, including neurological abnormalities. METHODS: In 61 AS patients with disease duration over 7 years, the findings of conventional radiographs were graded by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index (BASRI), and the ossification levels between the atlas and the dens and the severity of zygapophyseal (ZA) joint lesions were scored using multislice CT. Neurological examinations and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were performed by neurologists. RESULTS: According to the BASRI, 50 patients (82.0%) had radiological changes of the cervical spine > or = score 1. Thirty-seven patients (60.6%) revealed a certain extent of the atlantodental ossification, and the presence of partial or complete atlantodental ankylosis was seen over 30% of the patients. The BASRI-cervical spine score and the atlantodental ossification levels correlated with disease duration. ZA involvement was observed in 49 patients (80.3%), including 23 with ZA fusion (37.7%). Although 4 of 11 patients with atlantoaxial subluxation showed abnormal SSEP none had significant neurological complications. This might be attributed in part to atlantodental ankylosis and ZA fusion. Finally, ossifications of the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments were found 26.2 and 29.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cervical spine involvement and atlantodental ossification or ankylosis appear to be common in patients with longstanding AS, and to be particularly more severe in patients with a longer disease duration.     

Pulmonary manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis.

Chest radiographs of 39 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were studied. Three showed apical pulmonary fibrosis, two with cavitary lesions. Other known causes of lung disease were excluded. Symptoms and roentgenographic evidence of spondylitis were present for many years prior to the onset of pulmonary symptoms, which variably included shortness of breath, cough, hemoptysis, pleuritic chest pain, fever, and chills. Apical pulmonary lesions of unknown cause were absent in 53 age, sex, and racematched osteoarthritis control patients. The findings suggest that apical pulmonary fibrosis may be an extra-skeletal manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis, the frequency of which approaches that of spondylitic heart disease.     

Echocardiographic evidence of cardiac involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

Aortic insufficiency, myocardial fibrosis and conduction disturbances are known complications of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, few studies have assessed left ventricular diastolic function and no data are available about P-wave analysis. In this study 88 AS patients and 31 healthy volunteers underwent clinical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography and signal-averaged P-wave analysis for the evaluation of asymptomatic cardiac involvement. The aortic root in AS patients was larger and this was correlated with the duration of the disease. Five of 88 AS patients (5.7%) had evidence of mitral valve prolapse, six (6.8%) had thick and redundant mitral valves without prolapse, five (5.7%) had mild mitral regurgitation, two had moderate (2.3%) and two had mild (2.3%) aortic regurgitation. Examination of diastolic function revealed a lower peak of E-wave velocity (E) and E/A ratio, a higher peak of A-wave velocity (A) and acceleration rate of the A wave, a longer deceleration time of E-wave velocity and isovolumic relaxation time in the AS group compared to controls. Mean filtered P-wave duration (PWD) in AS was similar to that of controls. However, PWD in AS patients was positively correlated with left atrial dimension and acceleration rate of the A wave and negatively correlated with E and E/A ratio. In conclusion, cardiac involvement may be seen in AS patients in the absence of clinical manifestations. Echocardiographic examination of diastolic function can be used in this asymptomatic period. Further studies are needed to clarify the prognostic significance of diastolic abnormalities and the value of P-wave analysis in cardiac evaluation of these patients. Received: 5 June 2001 / Accepted: 18 September 2001     

Inflammatory involvement of vertebrae in ankylosing spondylitis.

Unusual destructive lesions of the cervical and lumbar vertebrae are described in two patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Biopsy of a lesion from one of the patients showed it to be inflammatory in nature. Possible mechanisms for vertebral centrum involvement in ankylosing spondylitis, centering on the role of enthesopathies are discussed.     

Pulmonary involvement in lifelong non-smoking patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis without respiratory symptoms

Pulmonary involvement seen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been detected increasingly by using highly sensitive diagnostic techniques such as high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). However, HRCT findings in healthy controls and the effects of smoking and drugs have not been well studied. The aim of this controlled study was to evaluate the relationships between disease-specific clinical, laboratory, HRCT and pulmonary function test (PFT) findings in 20 RA patients using methotrexate (MTX) and 20 AS patients using sulphasalazine who were non-smokers and exhibited asymptomatic respiratory signs. For this purpose, a total of 60 persons (40 patients and 20 healthy controls) were included in this study. A restrictive pattern on PFT was detected in four patients (20%) with AS, one patient with RA and one control (p<0.05). Fourteen patients (70%) with RA and ten patients (50%) with AS had positive HRCT findings. Only one patient (5%) in the control group had abnormal HRCT findings (p<0.05). Interstitial lung disease (ILD) was the most frequently seen HRCT finding in both the RA (35%) and AS (20%) groups. The chest expansion measurement, the score of the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were statistically significantly better in patients with AS having normal HRCT than in those with abnormal findings (p<0.05). There was no correlation detected between HRCT and duration of disease, disease activity markers, functional indexes and PFT in patients with RA and AS. HRCT is a sensitive tool in detecting ILD in patients with RA and AS with no signs and symptoms of pulmonary involvement and may be an integral part of such work-up. However, future prospective studies are needed to better determine if HRCT is in fact a predictor of subsequent MTX toxicity.     

Renal involvement in ankylosing spondylitis: concerning 210 cases

PURPOSE: To define the epidemiology, clinical, biological and histological features of renal diseases in ankylosing spondylitis, ginving special attention to unusual forms. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical record of 28 cases with renal involvement among 210 cases of ankylosing spondylitis seen over a 27 year period who met the Amor criteria. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of 210 patients (13,3%) presented one or more signs of renal involvement: macroscopic hematuria (4 patients), microscopic hematuria (8 patients), proteinuria (15 patients), nephrotic syndrome (6 patients), decreased renal function (13 patients). Secondary renal amyloidosis and nephrolithiasis (8 patients) were the most common cause of renal involvement in ankylosing spondylitis followed by IgA nephropathy (3 patients). CONCLUSION: The funding of renal abnormalities in 13,3% of our patients suggests that in this illness evidence of renal involvement should be actively investigated in ankylosing spondylitis.     

Cervical involvement in juvenile-onset ankylosing spondylitis with bone scintigraphy

Juvenile-onset ankylosing spondylitis is an unusual disorder which can present with either peripheral arthritis or more classic hip girdle and back symptoms. A 12-year-old child with this disease was admitted with walking disorder, cervical pain, restricted cervical motion, and right ankle swelling. Diffusely increased accumulation of radioactivity in the cervical spine, focally increased accumulation in bilateral sacroiliac joints, and diminished irregular uptake in thoracal spine were detected on technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy. As a result, this imaging technique may give important information for diagnosis and differential diagnosis in juvenile chronic arthritis.     

Ochronotic spondyloarthropathy: spinal involvement resembling ankylosing spondylitis

Ochronotic spondyloarthropathy is a rare metabolic disease with the musculoskeletal manifestations of alkaptonuria. Ochronotic arthropathy patients may have spinal abnormalities similar to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The proof of sacroiliac involvement or bamboo spine appearance is not sufficient either for diagnosis of ankylosing spondilitis or exclusion of ochronosis. In this report, the case of a 54-year-old woman having ochronosis, with clinically more recognizable axial arthropathy resembling AS, is presented, and the history, clinical presentation, diagnostic techniques, and distinctive diagnosis are reviewed.     

The gait deviations of ankylosing spondylitis with hip involvement

Clinical Rheumatology - The aim of the study was to investigate the gait deviations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with hip involvement. Thirty-six subjects, including 18 AS patients with...