Interní Med. 2011; 13(10): 374-377

Current perspective on diagnosing and treating ankylosing spondylitis

doc.MUDr.Ladislav Šenolt, Ph.D.

Revmatologický ústav, Klinika revmatologie 1. LF UK Praha

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting the axial skeleton that causes inflammatory back pain

and may lead to structural spinal damage, functional handicap and major reduction in the quality of life. The diagnosis of ankylosing

spondylitis is based on the 1984 modified New York criteria that require radiographic evidence of damage to the sacroiliac joints. The

use of magnetic resonance imaging and of modern therapeutic options has substantially improved the approach to this condition. The

author provides an overview of the classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis and a recently defined guideline on ankylosing

spondylitis including the possibility to use biological therapy in individuals with a severe course of axial spondyloarthritis already in an

early stage of the disease.

Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis, axial spondyloarthritis, sacroileitis, biological therapy

Published: October 1, 2011  Show citation