Delayed Diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis Common in US

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Delayed Diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis Common in US

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Oct 23 - Most patients with ankylosing spondylitis

are not diagnosed with the condition until 5 years after symptoms appear,

according to the results of a survey by the Spondylitis Association of

America.

The association surveyed more than 2000 ankylosing spondylitis patients in

the US.

Results of the survey indicate that 54% of those who developed ankylosing

spondylitis were not diagnosed until at least 5 years after symptoms

appeared, and 30% had symptoms for more than 10 years before they were

diagnosed.

Also, 24% had seen five or more physicians before being diagnosed.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Weisman from Cedars-Sinai

Medical Center, Los Angeles, said, " Early diagnosis of ankylosing

spondylitis is important not only for relieving pain and addressing

patient's problems, but also for giving physicians the opportunity to have

an impact on the natural history of the disease. "

Dr. Weisman, who is also on the Association's medical and scientific

advisory board, said the reason that many patients have a delayed

recognition of ankylosing spondylitis is that diagnosis in the early stages

is not easy. " Diagnosing ankylosing spondylitis usually requires

consultation with a specialist, " he noted.

To determine if a consultation is needed, Dr. Weisman said, physicians

should look for incidents of inflammatory back pain that awaken the patient

in the middle of the night and are severe in the morning; with this pattern

lasting for weeks to months. They should also look for the presence of

peripheral arthritis. Patients with these conditions should be referred to a

rheumatologist, Dr. Weisman commented.