Ankylosing Spondylitis

Abstract

CONSIDERABLE progress in early diagnosis and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (Marie—Strümpell disease) comes from the recent acceptance and classification¹ of this systemic disease as an entity apart from rheumatoid arthritis. Major clinical differences^{2 3 4 5} are listed in Table 1.As yet, etiologic studies have contributed little to the understanding of ankylosing spondylitis.⁶ Heredity, trauma, psychologic stress and nonspecific urogenital infections have all been suggested as possible causes. The frequent association between ankylosing spondylitis and ulcerative colitis,^{7 , 8} regional enteritis⁹ and psoriasis¹⁰ remains unexplained, as does the occasional link to Reiter's syndrome¹¹ and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.^{12 , 13} Natural HistoryEarly Disease and Modes of Onset . . .