Ankylosing spondylitis in a Xhosa father and daughter

A Xhosa father and daughter with ankylosing spondylitis are reported. Review of the literature revealed a low incidence of ankylosing spondylitis in Blacks in general, with only isolated reports from the continent of Africa itself. To our knowledge, there has been no documentation of ankylosing spondylitis in a black female, or of ankylosing spondylitis in first-degree Black relatives. The clinical features of ankylosing spondylitis in the female, and the role of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) B27 in the disease are also discussed.