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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffAnkylosing spondylitis doesn't follow a set course. The severity of symptoms and development of complications vary widely from person to person. Complications may include:
- Eye inflammation (uveitis). One of the most common complications of ankylosing spondylitis, uveitis can cause rapid-onset eye pain, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. See your doctor right away if you develop these symptoms.
- Compression fractures. Some people experience a thinning of their bones during the early stages of ankylosing spondylitis. Weakened vertebrae may crumble, increasing the severity of your stooped posture. Vertebral fractures sometimes can damage the spinal cord and the nerves that pass through the spine.
- Difficulty breathing. If ankylosing spondylitis affects your ribs, the fused bones can't move when you breathe — making it difficult to fully inflate your lungs.
- Heart problems. Ankylosing spondylitis can cause problems with your aorta, the largest artery in your body. The inflamed aorta can enlarge to the point that it distorts the shape of the aortic valve in the heart, which impairs its function.
References
- Braveman SE. Ankylosing spondylitis. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50112-7&isbn=978-1-4160-4007-1&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50112-7--cesec5&uniqId=228570791-3. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
- Yu DT. Clinical manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
- Mercier LT. Ankylosing spondylitis. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00010-X--sc0225&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1090462943&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00010-X--sc0225&uniqId=228720493-4#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00010-X--sc0225. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
- Yu DT. Treatment and prognosis of ankylosing spondylitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
- Inman RD. Clinical subsets of the spondyloarthropathies: Ankylosing spondylitis. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50291-3--cesec29&isbn=978-1-4160-2805-5&sid=1090462943&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50291-3--cesec33&uniqId=228720493-4#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50291-3--cesec33. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
- Van der Linden SM, et al. Ankylosing spondylitis. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10070-1&isbn=978-1-4160-3285-4&sid=1090462943&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10070-1&uniqId=228720493-4#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10070-1. Accessed Nov. 30, 2010.
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