I was diagnosed in 1986 after a Nuclear Bone Scan, HLA-B27+ and a Myelogram (and years of back and hip pain) but never kept my records.

At the time, there was no one closely knowledgeable of AS in the area and because I wasn't the worst case scenario (extreme AS case with fusion), I was dismissed by a Rheumy within even looking at any films, reports or blood work. He told me I was wasting his time that anyone with AS would be completely hunched over and unable to straighten up because they were fused. He told me to never come back as he had patients in real need.

Needless to say, I was so humiliated that @%LL would have frozen over before I went through that again so I walked away and refused to see another one but, a lot of things happened since but I've been more focused on those than AS. I'm -.02 on SLE, Bilateral Peroneal Neuropathy, 4 thoracic fractures last year, and so on.....any way....with all that somewhat stabilized, I moved to get closer to family and without established history, I've been told there is no urgency to get in with a Rheumy so I'm in an 8 month wait....for a November appointment. By then, next appointment I will be changing insurances....again. I don't like the closest one taking my insurance is 76 miles away....I could understand if I was in a remote area but....not the case.

Any how, what I find very interesting is the HLA-B27 is not on the report results but under HLA-B there were three (unevaluated) SNPs:

rs2523608(T;T)
rs1058026(T;T)
rs2596439(T;T)

It seems like I have a lot of SNPs for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and overall Bad Reputes for Autoimmune conditions.

Overall it seems without clear fusion, variables are so many that a diagnosis can be explained away.