What is ankylosing spondylitis?

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Rheumatoid spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis of the spine. It causes swelling between your vertebrae, which are the disks that make up your spine, and in the joints between your spine and pelvis. Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disease. This means your immune system, which normally protects your body from infection, attacks your body's own tissues. The disease is more common and more severe in men. It often runs in families. Early symptoms include back pain and stiffness. These problems often start in late adolescence or early adulthood. Over time, ankylosing spondylitis can fuse your vertebrae together, limiting movement. Symptoms can worsen or improve or stop altogether. The disease has no cure, but medicines can relieve the pain, swelling and other symptoms. Exercise can also help.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily causes pain and inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of your spine and the joints between your spine and pelvis (sacroiliac joints). However, ankylosing spondylitis may also cause inflammation and pain in other parts of your body as well.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of chronic (long-term) arthritis that affects the bones, muscles and ligaments of the spine.

Ankylosing Spondylitis, Radiologic Perspective

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that is due to inflammation of multiple joints, characteristically the spinal facet joints and the sacroiliac joints at the base of the spine. While it tends to affect these joints and the soft tissues around the spine, other joints may also be affected as well as tissues around the joints (entheses, where tendons and ligaments attach to bone). This disorder frequently results in bony ankylosis (or fusion). The term ankylosing is derived from the Greek word ankylos, which means stiffening of a joint. Spondylos means vertebra (or spine). Spondylitis refers to inflammation of one or more vertebrae. Ankylosing spondylitis is usually a chronic and progressive form of arthritis. Ankylosing spondylitis may also involve areas of the body other than the joints, such the eyes, heart, and lungs.

Cortisone

Glucocorticoids are adrenocortical steroids, both naturally occurring and synthetic, which are readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Endocrine Disorders Primary or secondary adrenocortical insufficiency (hydrocortisone or cortisone is the first choice, synthetic analogs may be used in conjunction with mineralocorticoids where applicable, in infancy mineralocorticoid supplementation is of particular importance).Congenital adrenal hyperplasiaNonsuppurative thyroiditisHypercalcemia associated with cancer Rheumatic Disorders As adjunctive therapy for short-term administration (to tide the patient over an acute episode or exacerbation) in:Psoriatic arthritisRheumatoid arthritis, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (selected cases may require low-dose maintenance therapy)Ankylosing spondylitisAcute and subacute bursitisAcute nonspecific tenosynovitisAcute gouty arthritisPost-traumatic osteoarthritisSynovitis of osteoarthritisEpicondylitis Collagen Diseases During an exacerbation or as maintenance therapy in selected cases of:Systemic lupus erythematosusAcute rheumatic carditisSystemic dermatomyositis (polymyositis) Dermatologic Diseases PemphigusBullous dermatitis herpetiformisSevere erythema multiforme (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)Exfoliative dermatitisMycosis fungoidesSevere psoriasisSevere seborrheic dermatitis Allergic States Control of severe or incapacitating allergic conditions intractable to adequate trials of conventional treatment:Seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitisBronchial asthmaContact dermatitisAtopic dermatitisSerum sicknessDrug hypersensitivity reactions Ophthalmic Diseases Severe acute and chronic allergic and inflammatory processes involving the eye and its adnexa, such as:Allergic conjunctivitisKeratitisAllergic corneal marginal ulcersHerpes zoster ophthalmicusIritis and iridocyclitisChorioretinitisAnterior segment inflammationDiffuse posterior uveitis and choroiditisOptic neuritisSympathetic ophthalmia Respiratory Diseases Symptomatic...

Ankylosing spondylitis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS, from Greek ankylos, stiff; spondylos, vertebrae), previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, ...

Spondylitis Association of America - Ankylosing Spondylitis and ...

Supports education, research and treatment for ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases. Description of the disease, personal stories, online forum, ...

Ankylosing Spondylitis Causes, Diagnosis, Information, Symptoms ...

Mar 12, 2011 ... Read about ankylosing spondylitis (a form of chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joints), which causes spinal pain and ...

Ankylosing Spondylitis: Pain, Symptoms, Treatments, Causes, and More

Information on ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis affecting the spine.

Ankylosing Spondylitis: eMedicine Radiology

Mar 25, 2009 ... Overview: Ankylosing spondylitis is a distinct disease entity characterized by inflammation of multiple articular and para-articular ...