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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDiagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis may be delayed if your symptoms are mild or if you mistakenly attribute some of your symptoms to more common back problems.
Imaging tests
- X-rays. X-rays allow your doctor to check for changes in your joints and bones, though the characteristic effects of ankylosing spondylitis may not be evident early in the disease.
- Computerized tomography (CT). CT scans combine X-ray views taken from many different angles into a cross-sectional image of internal structures. CT scans provide more detail, and more radiation exposure, than do plain X-rays.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using radio waves and a strong magnetic field, MRI scans are better at visualizing soft tissues such as cartilage.
Lab tests
There are no specific lab tests to identify ankylosing spondylitis. Certain blood tests can check for signs of inflammation, but inflammation can be caused by many different health problems. Your blood can be tested for the HLA-B27 gene, but most people who have that gene don't have ankylosing spondylitis.
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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