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Marie-Strumpell disease
or rheumatoid spondylitis
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- Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic
inflammatory disease of the joints of the spine and those
connecting to the spine, such as the sacroiliac joint. This
is an arthritic condition involving stiffness in joints,
with resultant pain and stiffness in the back and hips, and
difficulty taking deep breaths, due to rib connection to
spine. The underlying cause is thought to involve the
autoimmune response (the body's immune system mistakenly
attacks these joints). The age of onset is usually late
teens or early 20's, with a male
predominance.
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- Morning stiffness
- Hip and shoulder pain
- Stiffness improves with activity
- Intermittent bouts of lower back
pain (that may radiate to thighs)
- Progressive limitation of back
motion
- Difficulty with chest expansion
("taking a deep breath") -- pleuritic chest pain is common
- Arthritis (stiffness and/or pain)
in other joints such as hips, shoulders, and knees
- Uveitis (blurred vision, tearing,
and light causes eye pain)
- Rarely, heart and lungs may be
affected.
- Aortic root dilation
- Aortic Regurgitation
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- Probable autoimmune (explained
above)
- Genetic predisposition in those who
carry the HLA-B27 gene
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- Educational/emotional support
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories,
especially indomethacin
- Sulfasalazine
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