[Ankylosing spondylitis. Pathogenesis and therapy]

The efficacy and agreeability of a supportive drug therapy at doses of 300 mg of proquazone (Biarison) administered thrice daily was tested in an open study of 4 weeks' duration in 10 male patients suffering of clinically verified ankylosing spondylitis. The minimum duration of suffering was 15 years, the maximum 50 years. The major goal of therapy during clinical treatment was individually oriented physical therapy suited to the enhancement of residual mobility, removal of postural abnormalities and abnormalities of weight-loading as well as the maintenance of functionality for afflicted skeletal regions. In the course of this additional therapy with proquazone the functional index and activity index both displayed significant improvement (2 p less than 0.01), as compared with the control subjects. Improvement was attained as soon as 2 weeks following begin of therapy. In the course of treatment the following parameters also displayed significant improvement (2 p less than 0.05): morning stiffness, fatigue, patient's self-evaluation, Westergren one-hour-value, physician's over-all assessment, night pain, articular pain, thoracic and lumbar pain. There were only insignificant changes in other, regularly tested laboratory values during this drug therapy. No side effects or disagreeability signs of proquazone were noted. Proquazone can be recommended for the symptomatic additional treatment of patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis.