Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Ankylosing Spondylitis includes the 12
symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis:
Ankylosing Spondylitis: Complications
Review medical complications possibly associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis:
Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Testing
Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to Ankylosing Spondylitis:
Research More About Ankylosing Spondylitis
Do I have Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Ankylosing Spondylitis: Undiagnosed Conditions
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Wrongly Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions
that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses
for Ankylosing Spondylitis includes:
See the full list of 19
alternative diagnoses for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing Spondylitis: Research Doctors & Specialists
- Bone, Joint and Orthopedic Specialists:
- Arthritis & Joint Health Specialists (Rheumatology):
- more specialists...»
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More about symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis:
More information about symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis and related conditions:
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Ankylosing Spondylitis
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Ankylosing Spondylitis
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Medical Books Excerpts
- NECK PAIN
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- NECK PAIN
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Neck pain
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Neck pain
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Neck Pain
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Neck pain
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Neck pain
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Neck pain
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- NECK PAIN
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Related videos for Ankylosing Spondylitis
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
A childhood psychiatrist helps explore the affect of Crohns and ulcerative colitis, types of inflammatory bowel disease children and their families.
See full list of 11 related videos
Patient Surveys for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Ankylosing spondylitis:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The first indication of ankylosing spondylitis is intermittent low back pain that’s usually most severe in the morning or after a period of inactivity. Other signs and symptoms depend on the disease stage and may include:
❑ hip deformity and associated limited range of motion
❑ kyphosis in advanced stages, caused by chronic stooping to relieve symptoms
❑ mild fatigue, fever, anorexia, or weight loss; occasional iritis; aortic insufficiency and cardiomegaly; and upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis (mimics tuberculosis)
❑ pain and limited expansion of the chest due to involvement of the costovertebral joints
❑ peripheral arthritis involving shoulders, hips, and knees
❑ stiffness and limited motion of the lumbar spine
❑ tenderness over the inflammation site.
These signs and symptoms progress unpredictably, and the disease can go into remission, exacerbation, or arrest at any stage.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Signs and symptoms vary with the type of JRA. Affecting males and females almost equally, systemic JRA accounts for approximately 10% to 30% of cases. The affected children may have mild, transient arthritis or frank polyarthritis associated with fever and rash. Joint involvement may not be evident at first, but the child’s behavior may clearly suggest joint pain. Such a child may constantly want to sit in a flexed position, may not walk much, or may refuse to walk at all. Young children with JRA are noticeably irritable and listless.
Fever in systemic JRA occurs suddenly and spikes to 103° F (39.4° C) or higher once or twice daily, usually in the late afternoon, then rapidly returns to normal or subnormal. (This “sawtooth” or intermittent spiking fever pattern helps differentiate JRA from other inflammatory disorders.) When fever spikes, an evanescent rheumatoid rash commonly appears, consisting of small pale or salmon pink macules, usually on the trunk and proximal extremities and occasionally on the face, palms, and soles. Massaging or applying heat intensifies this rash. It’s usually most conspicuous where the skin has been rubbed or subjected to pressure such as the areas of skin covered by underclothing.
Other signs and symptoms of systemic JRA may include hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pleuritis, pericarditis, myocarditis, and nonspecific abdominal pain.
Polyarticular JRA accounts for about 40% of cases and is three times more common in females than in males; affected children may be seronegative or seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF). It involves five or more joints and usually develops insidiously. Most commonly involved joints are the wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and small joints of the hands and feet. Polyarticular JRA can also affect larger joints, including the temporomandibular joints, cervical spine, hips, and shoulders. These joints become swollen, tender, and stiff. Usually, the arthritis is symmetrical; it may be remittent or indolent. The patient may run a low-grade fever with daily peaks. Listlessness and weight loss can occur, possibly with lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Other signs of polyarticular JRA include subcutaneous nodules on the elbows or heels and noticeable developmental retardation.
Seropositive polyarticular JRA, the more severe type, usually occurs late in childhood and can cause destructive arthritis that mimics adult rheumatoid arthritis.
Pauciarticular JRA involves few joints (usually no more than four), typically affecting the knees and other large joints. This form accounts for 45% of cases and has major subtypes. The first, pauciarticular JRA with chronic iridocyclitis, most commonly strikes females younger than age 6 and involves the knees, elbows, ankles, or iris. Inflammation of the iris and ciliary body is commonly asymptomatic but may produce pain, redness, blurred vision, and photophobia.
The second subtype, pauciarticular JRA with sacroiliitis, usually strikes males (9:1) older than age 8, who tend to test positive for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27. This subtype is characterized by lower extremity arthritis that produces hip, sacroiliac, heel, and foot pain as well as Achilles' tendinitis. These patients may later develop the sacroiliac and lumbar arthritis characteristic of ankylosing spondylitis. Some also experience acute iritis, but not as many as those with the first subtype.
The third subtype includes patients with joint involvement who are antinuclear antibody (ANA) and HLA-B27 negative and don’t develop iritis. These patients have a better prognosis than those with the first or second subtype.
Common to all types of JRA is joint stiffness in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Back pain and limited range of motion is common. Growth disturbances may also occur, resulting in uneven length of arms or legs due to overgrowth or undergrowth adjacent to inflamed joints.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Rheumatoid arthritis:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
RA usually develops insidiously and initially produces nonspecific signs and symptoms, such as fatigue, malaise, anorexia, persistent low-grade fever, weight loss, lymphadenopathy, and vague articular symptoms. Later, more specific localized articular symptoms develop, commonly in the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal, and metatarsophalangeal joints. These symptoms usually occur bilaterally and symmetrically and may extend to the wrists, knees, elbows, and ankles. The affected joints stiffen after inactivity, especially upon rising in the morning. The fingers may assume a spindle shape from marked edema and joint congestion. The joints become tender and painful, at first only when the patient moves them, but eventually even at rest. They commonly feel hot to the touch. Ultimately, joint function is diminished.
Deformities are common if active disease continues. (See Joint deformities.) Proximal interphalangeal joints may develop flexion deformities or become hyperextended. Metacarpophalangeal joints may swell dorsally, and volar subluxation and stretching of tendons may pull the fingers to the ulnar side (“ulnar drift”). The fingers may become fixed in a characteristic “swan’s neck” appearance, or “boutonnière” deformity. The hands appear foreshortened, the wrists boggy; carpal tunnel syndrome from synovial pressure on the median nerve causes tingling paresthesia in the fingers.
The most common extra-articular finding is the gradual appearance of rheumatoid nodules — subcutaneous, round or oval, nontender masses — usually on pressure areas such as the elbows. Vasculitis can lead to skin lesions, leg ulcers, and multiple systemic complications. Peripheral neuropathy may produce numbness or tingling in the feet or weakness and loss of sensation in the fingers. Stiff, weak, or painful muscles are common. Other common extra-articular effects include pericarditis, pulmonary nodules or fibrosis, pleuritis, scleritis, and episcleritis.
Another complication is destruction of the odontoid process, part of the second cervical vertebra. Rarely, cord compression may occur, particularly in patients with long-standing deforming disease. Upper motor neuron signs and symptoms, such as a positive Babinski’s sign and muscle weakness, may also develop.
RA can also cause temporomandibular joint disease, which impairs chewing and causes earaches. Other extra-articular findings may include infection, osteoporosis, myositis, cardiopulmonary lesions, lymphadenopathy, and peripheral neuritis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Ankylosing spondylitis:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
The first indication is intermittent low back pain that’s usually most severe in the morning or after a period of inactivity. Other signs and symptoms depend on the disease stage and include:
stiffness and limited motion of the lumbar spine
CLINICAL TIP: To test for lumbar mobility, perform the Schober test: With the patient standing erect, make a pen mark over the lumbar spine at L5 (even with the dimples of Venus). Measure 3.9 "(10 cm) upward along the spine and make a second mark. Then ask the patient to bend forward as far as he can while keeping his knees straight. Measure the distance between the two marks while the patient is flexed. In normal lumbar mobility, the distance between the marks should increase by at least 5.85"(15 cm).
pain and limited expansion of the chest due to involvement of the costovertebral joints
peripheral arthritis involving shoulders, hips, and knees
kyphosis in advanced stages, caused by chronic stooping to relieve symptoms, and hip deformity and associated limited range of motion (ROM)
tenderness over the site of inflammation
pain or tenderness at tendon insertion sites (enthesitis), especially the Achilles’or patellar tendon
mild fatigue, fever, anorexia, or loss of weight; unilateral acute anterior uveitis; aortic insufficiency and cardiomegaly; upper lobe pulmonary fibrosis (mimics tuberculosis)
severe neurologic complications, such as cauda equina syndrome and paralysis, which can occur secondary to fracture of a rigid cervical spine or C1-C2 subluxation.
These signs and symptoms progress unpredictably, and the disease can go into remission, exacerbation, or arrest at any stage.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
Signs and symptoms vary with the type of JRA.
Systemic JRA
Affecting boys and girls almost equally, systemic JRA accounts for 20% to 30% of cases. Affected children may have mild, transient arthritis or frank poly-arthritis associated with fever and rash.
CLINICAL TIP: Joint involvement may not be evident at first, but the child’s behavior may clearly suggest joint pain. Such a child may want to constantly sit in a flexed position, may not walk much, or may refuse to walk at all. Young children with JRA are noticeably irritable and listless.
Fever in systemic JRA occurs suddenly and spikes to 103° F (39.4° C) or higher once or twice daily, usually in the late afternoon, then rapidly returns to normal or subnormal. (This sawtooth, or intermittent spiking, fever pattern helps differentiate JRA from other inflammatory disorders.) When fever spikes, an evanescent rheumatoid rash typically appears, consisting of small, pale or salmon pink macules, most commonly on the trunk and proximal extremities and occasionally on the face, palms, and soles.
Massaging or applying heat intensifies this rash, which is usually most conspicuous where the skin has been rubbed or subjected to pressure, such as that from underclothing.
Other signs and symptoms of systemic JRA include hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pleuritis, pericarditis, myocarditis, and nonspecific abdominal pain.
Polyarticular JRA
Polyarticular JRA is four to nine times more common in girls than in boys and may be seronegative or seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF). It involves five or more joints and usually develops insidiously. The joints most commonly involved are the wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and small joints of the hands and feet.
Polyarticular JRA can also affect larger joints, including the temporomandibular joints and those of the cervical spine, hips, and shoulders. These joints become swollen, tender, and stiff.
Usually, the arthritis is symmetrical; it may be remittent or indolent. The patient may run a low-grade fever with daily peaks. Listlessness and weight loss can occur, possibly with lymphaden-opathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Other signs of polyarticular JRA include subcutaneous nodules on the elbows or heels and noticeable developmental retardation.
Seropositive polyarticular JRA, the more severe type, usually occurs late in childhood and can cause destructive arthritis that mimics adult RA.
Pauciarticular JRA
Involving few joints (usually no more than four), pauciarticular JRA usually affects the knees and other large joints. It accounts for 45% of cases. Three major subtypes exist:
❑ Pauciarticular JRA with chronic iridocyclitis most commonly affects girls younger than age 6 and involves the knees, elbows, ankles, or iris. Inflammation of the iris and ciliary body is typically asymptomatic, but may produce pain, redness, blurred vision, and photophobia. Young girls who test positive for antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are at highest risk for eye complications.
❑ Pauciarticular JRA with sacroiliitis usually affects boys (9:1) older than age 8, who tend to be human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27–positive. This subtype is characterized by lower-extremity arthritis that produces hip, sacroiliac, heel, and foot pain and Achilles tendinitis. These patients may later develop the sacroiliac and lumbar arthritis characteristic of ankylosing spondylitis. Some patients also experience acute iritis, but not as many as those with the first subtype.
❑ The third subtype includes patients with joint involvement who test negative for ANAs and HLA-B27 and who don’t develop iritis. Characterized by asymmetrical involvement of large or small joints, this subtype can strike at any age during childhood. These patients have a better prognosis than those with the first or second subtype, although some may progress to polyarticular disease.
Common to all types of JRA is joint stiffness in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Growth disturbances may also occur, resulting in overgrowth or undergrowth adjacent to inflamed joints.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Rheumatoid arthritis:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
RA usually develops insidiously and initially produces nonspecific signs and symptoms. These include fatigue, malaise, anorexia, persistent low-grade fever, weight loss, lymphadenopathy, and vague articular symptoms.
Specific symptoms
As the disease progresses, more specific localized articular symptoms develop, commonly in the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP), metacarpophalangeal (MCP), and metatarsophalangeal joints. These symptoms usually occur bilaterally and symmetrically and may extend to the wrists, knees, elbows, and ankles.
The affected joints stiffen after inactivity, especially on rising in the morning. The fingers may assume a spindle shape from marked edema and congestion in the joints. The joints become tender and painful, at first only when the patient moves them, but eventually even at rest. They often feel hot to the touch. Ultimately, joint function is diminished. Deformities are common if active disease continues.
PIP joints may develop flexion deformities or become hyperextended. MCP joints may swell dorsally, and volar subluxation and stretching of tendons may pull the fingers to the ulnar side (“ulnar drift”).
The fingers may become fixed in a characteristic swan-neck or boutonnière deformity. The hands appear foreshortened and, the wrists boggy; carpal tunnel syndrome from synovial pressure on the median nerve causes paresthesia in the fingers.
CLINICAL TIP: Early intervention, under the guidance of an occupational therapist, with splinting and joint protection devices can effectively delay the progression of joint deformities.
Extra-articular signs
The most common extra-articular finding is the gradual appearance of rheumatoid nodules — subcutaneous, round or oval, nontender masses. These are seen in 20% of RA patients who are RF-positive. They usually appear on pressure areas, such as the elbows, hands, and Achilles tendon.
Vasculitis can lead to skin lesions, leg ulcers, and multiple systemic complications. Peripheral neuropathy may produce numbness or tingling in the feet or weakness and loss of sensation in the fingers. Stiff, weak, or painful muscles are common.
Other common extra-articular effects include pericarditis, pulmonary nodules or fibrosis, pleuritis, scleritis, and episcleritis.
Other complications
Another complication is destruction of the odontoid process, which is part of the second cervical vertebra. With C1 or C2 instability and subluxation, spinal cord compression may occur, particularly in patients with long-standing deforming RA. Upper-motor-neuron signs and symptoms, such as a positive Babinski’s sign and muscle weakness, may also develop.
RA can also cause temporomandibular joint disease, which impairs chewing and causes earaches. Other extra-articular findings include infection, osteoporosis, myositis, cardiopulmonary lesions, lymphadenopathy, and peripheral neuritis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Ankylosing Spondylitis:
Ankylosing Spondylitis - signs & symptoms
(The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult)
- Inflammatory back pain (better with exercise, not relieved by rest) of insidious onset that has been present for at least 3 months.
- Inactivity stiffness resulting in gelling of peripheral joints and back
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
Ankylosing Spondylitis as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
When considering symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis, it is also important to consider Ankylosing Spondylitis as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Ankylosing Spondylitis may cause:
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
This signs and symptoms information for Ankylosing Spondylitis has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Ankylosing Spondylitis signs or Ankylosing Spondylitis symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Ankylosing Spondylitis symptoms.
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
For most people, arthritis means simply pain in or around a joint. But there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, each with its own set of...
A childhood psychiatrist helps explore the affect of Crohns and ulcerative colitis, types of inflammatory bowel disease children and their families.
See full list of 11 related videos
» Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
