Ankylosing spondylitis

Clinical Radiology

Volume 12, Issue 2, April 1961, Pages 132-135

Summary

1.
Radiotherapy is a useful method of treating ankylosing spondylitis.
2.
The greatest benefit follows the use of radiotherapy as soon as the diagnosis has been established.
3.
The best results are obtained when the whole of the spine is treated at the outset.
4.
A high dose level, with a minimum of 2,000 r to the skin and the whole spine in two weeks, achieves a better and more lasting result than lower doses.
5.
The benefits of x-ray treatment outweigh the risks of damage to the haemopoietic system. The risks of x-ray therapy in ankylosing spondylitis are negligible.

Second-line treatment in seronegative spondylarthropathies
1994, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism
The literature concerning second-line treatment of seronegative spondylarthropathies from 1940 to August 1993 was reviewed. Sulfasalazine appeared to be effective in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and promising in reactive arthritis (ReA) and Reiters' syndrome (RS). Methotrexate and azathioprine were associated with a remarkable improvement in some cases of AS and RS. Methylprednisolone and levamisole were both efficacious in AS, but levamisole was associated with occasional severe side effects. Radiation therapy led to short-term improvement in AS, but was abandoned because of severe long-term side effects. Only sulfasalazine has been studied in sufficient detail to allow definitive conclusions, but methotrexate and azathioprine may be promising drugs.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
2023, Medical Radiology
Current evidence for the management of ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic literature review for the ASAS/EULAR management recommendations in ankylosing spondylitis
2006, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
Ionizing Radiation for Treatment of Benign Conditions
1984, Southern Medical Journal