title: The prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in African blacks.
abstract: The prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) was studied in a hospital based population of African Blacks over the age of 40 years. The study was based on an analysis of the lateral chest radiographs of 1000 patients in a retrospective study and 500 consecutive medical admissions in a prospective study. The overall prevalence of DISH was 3.9% (males 3.8% and females 4.2%). There was a rise in the prevalence of DISH with increasing age from 1% in the 40-49 year age group to 13.6% in those over 70 years. The prevalence of diabetes was 52.4% in the 21 patients with DISH who were seen in the prospective analysis. Ankylosing spondylitis, which is associated with HLA-B27, is rare in African Blacks. However, DISH is not uncommon but its prevalence is lower than in a similar hospital based study of Jews in Israel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cassim
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mody
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004057:Hyperostosis, Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000453:epidemiology*