[Ankylosing spondylitis in Togolese patients]

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Epidemiology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the axial skeleton.
• Understanding its prevalence and clinical presentation in diverse populations is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency and clinical characteristics (semiology) of ankylosing spondylitis in an outpatient rheumatology setting in Lome, Togo.
• To compare the observed symptomatology with existing data from other regions and populations.

Main Methods:

• A transversal study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 2,626 patients over three years in an outpatient rheumatology department.
• Patient demographics, clinical signs, and lesion sites were recorded.

Main Results:

• Ankylosing spondylitis was diagnosed in 13 out of 2,626 patients (0.5% prevalence).
• All affected patients were male, with a mean age of 23 at disease onset.
• Common findings included pelvis-rachis lesions (100%), sacro-ileitis (100%), peripheral articular involvement (3/13), enthesitis (5/13), and extra-articular features like diarrhea (2/13).
• No cases of uveitis, psoriasis, or chronic enterocolopathy were reported.
• Syndesmophytes were present in two patients, and bilateral coxitis complicated one case.
• The clinical presentation was comparable to that observed in Southern Africa and in Black Americans who are not carriers of HLA B27.

Conclusions:

• Ankylosing spondylitis in Lome, Togo, presents predominantly in young males with axial skeletal involvement and specific extra-articular manifestations.
• The observed clinical profile aligns with data from other African populations and HLA B27-negative Black Americans.
• Further epidemiological and genetic studies are warranted to fully elucidate the profile of ankylosing spondylitis in Togo.