Clinical profile of ankylosing spondylitis at a teaching hospital

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of spondyloarthropathy, is an autoimmune disease that mainly involves spine joints, sacroiliac joints and their adjacent soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments. Progression of disease can lead to fibrosis and calcification, resulting in the loss of flexibility and mobility of the spine. The common clinical presentation is inflammatory back pain which is often neglected. The aim of our study was to assess the demographic and clinical proflie of patients of ankylosing spondylitis diagnosed on the basis of radiographic sacroillitis.

In a cross sectional hospital based study, the patients visiting to outpatient departments with inflammatory back pain were evaluated and 200 patients who had sacroiliitis according to modified New york criteria were diagnosed to have ankylosing spondylitis.The demographic and clinical profile was studied. Disease activity was assessed by using the ASDAS and BASDAI and function by BASFI and BASMI.

Amongst the study participants, 72 % were males and 28 % were females. The mean age of participants was 46± 12years. The mean duration of symptoms was10± 3 years. Out of all, 92% patients were HLA B27 positive. High BASDAI score (>4) was positively correlated with elevated CRP, ESR ,neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and had negative correlation with serum vitamin D levels.

Most of the patients in our study had advanced disease might be due to delay in the diagnosis. They had high BASDAI with elevated inflammatory markers. Awareness for early and definite diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is needed to prevent irreversible structural damage, and worsening of quality of life.