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ALL / Rheumatology
Ankylosing spondylitis: features
Ankylosing spondylitis: features
Ankylosing spondylitis is a HLA-B27 associated spondyloarthropathy. It typically presents in males (sex ratio 3:1) aged 20-30 years old.Features
- typically a young man who presents with lower back pain and stiffness of insidious onset
- stiffness is usually worse in the morning and improves with exercise
- the patient may experience pain at night which improves on getting up
Clinical examination
- reduced lateral flexion
- reduced forward flexion - Schober's test - a line is drawn 10 cm above and 5 cm below the back dimples (dimples of Venus). The distance between the two lines should increase by more than 5 cm when the patient bends as far forward as possible
- reduced chest expansion
Other features - the 'A's
- Apical fibrosis
- Anterior uveitis
- Aortic regurgitation
- Achilles tendonitis
- AV node block
- Amyloidosis
- and cauda equina syndrome
- peripheral arthritis (25%, more common if female)
+PassMedicine Notes
Ankylosing spondylitis is a HLA-B27 associated spondyloarthropathy. It typically presents in males (sex ratio 3:1) aged 20-30 years old.
Features- typically a young man who presents with lower back pain and stiffness of insidious onset
- stiffness is usually worse in the morning and improves with exercise
- the patient may experience pain at night which improves on getting up
- reduced lateral flexion
- reduced forward flexion - Schober's test - a line is drawn 10 cm above and 5 cm below the back dimples (dimples of Venus). The distance between the two lines should increase by more than 5 cm when the patient bends as far forward as possible
- reduced chest expansion
- Apical fibrosis
- Anterior uveitis
- Aortic regurgitation
- Achilles tendonitis
- AV node block
- Amyloidosis
- and cauda equina syndrome
- peripheral arthritis (25%, more common if female)
