title: Clinical features and prognosis of patients with possible ankylosing spondylitis. Results of a 10-year followup.
abstract: Eighty-eight patients with possible ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were selected for this followup study. They showed normal or at most suspicious radiographic findings of the sacroiliac joints. After 5 years' followup, 24, and after 10 years 32 patients (59% of the 54 finally available, 36% of the 88 original patients) had definite AS. In 12 individuals, AS could be excluded. Of the 10 remaining patients, 6 still had possible, and 4 had undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy. A comparison between HLA-B27 positive and negative patients showed a significantly increased frequency of definite AS or possible and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (p less than 0.05) in the group of HLA-B27 positive patients. The development of AS was characterized by a prolonged course: radiological sacroiliitis became evident after at least 9 +/- 6 years, radiological signs of spinal involvement after 11 +/- 6 years mean disease duration. After 18 +/- 6 years 25 (78%) of 32 patients with AS still maintained good or sufficient functional capacity, indicating a good functional prognosis in the great majority of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, West Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mau
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeidler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freyschmidt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stangel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deicher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications; D001175:Arthrography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen