Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Sacroilitis - Q from new member

Hi,
I keep reading that sacroilitis is the hallmark of AS and that AS (and related diseases) are hard to diagnose because sacroilitis takes years to show.
The thing is I am newly diagnosed with IBD & AS at age 30 (back pain since 18) and the first X-Rays age 20 show "suspicious of sacroilitis". I have been to various specialists and was told the back pain was due to my mild scoliosis(?).
I also had an X-Ray 1 year ago and it showed my sacroilitis was now clear (prominent sclerosis) and when I complained about pain in my whole spine I was told I had FMS - I'm female.
When it was finally discovered I had mild IBD I was finally was diagnosed with the accompanying arthritis.
So after I was diagnosed with AS I enquired why it wasn't picked up earlier as it was in my X-Rays age 20 and was told that sacroilitis occurs for heaps of reasons not just AS related diseases.
Can anyone please explain this to me as I keep reading that sacroilitis (even at the suspicious stage) accompanied with long term backpain and reduced mobility generally means AS and it's related diseased. Apart from the obvious that doctors just aren't educated enough in this area. Does sacroilitis occur for a number of reasons?
Sunny

I dont know about Sacroilitis occuring for a number of reasons but I do know that it does occur if you had scoliosis as a kid or young adult. for any other reasons I dont know I hope that little bit of info was in some way helpfull. and if not well then I am sorry, but I tried.

"If you succeed through violence at the expense of other's rights and welfare, you have not solved the problem, but only created the seeds for another." - William Wheaton

almost forgot to say WELCOME.

"If you succeed through violence at the expense of other's rights and welfare, you have not solved the problem, but only created the seeds for another." - William Wheaton

HI,

I can't answer your question but WELCOME and I believe you will get more information, you come to the right place.

Take care,
Sinta

Sunny,
I had sacroillitis last year and ended up in hospital ( I am also female and only 25 years old). My left SI joint fused in 6weeks my right was almost fused on the last scan but still gives me lots of pain. The fusion is a clear symptom of AS while the inflammation is not. Have you been tested for HLA-B27? That may help, have you had any other scans of your spine? These would help in diagnosis.
Hope this helps a bit.
Take care and keep smiling,
Rose

Not sure on other causes of Sacroilities and in December of last year a doctor had blood drawn for a HLA-B27 test and that came back pos. Then refered me to a Rhumetologist who then had x-rays taken of my spine and hip joints. He got the x-rays back and the person who reads them before they get back to the doc missed the fusion of my Sacroilite joints,sent them back for the tec to read them and hmmmmm.looky there they are fused and he missed it in his first read. I was also informed by my Rhumey that two vertabrae in my lower back are fused. I have had this since my early 20's and was just diagnosed with AS at 35 after years of pain and doc's who knew nothing about finding a cause of a problem. They just prescribe you some pills and send you out the door. I would say get the HLA-B27 and if POS see a Rhumetologist and he should dig in and see just what the trouble is.
Sorry I ranted..been up all night with a pain in the AS....:)

Every day is a good day - Just some are better than others


Jeff

Well,
There are other diseases with sacroiliitis, Reiter's, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's, Colitis but all these diseases are so closely related that the differences are not really important. Only rheumatoid arthritis can also give sacroiliitis and can be seen as an unrelated disease. So there are no heaps of other diseases. I think AS is just a definition for a disease in which the SI damage is the major first sign of the disease. So I really agree with you and am afraid that ignorance may play a role here. On the other hand as there never has been a good treatment for this disease (officially that is, I think the LSD/NSD diet should tried out by everyone) they may have thought that if it become worse you would come back anyway.
Take care,
Gerard

"Tell me what kind of food you eat, and I will tell you what kind of man you are."
-Anthelme Brillat Savarin -

Hi Sunny,

I, too, was diagnosed with mild scoliosis as a child. My back pain didn't start 'til my early twenties, and it took another eight years of partial disability to be diagnosed. I don't know much about the Sacroilitis though. Hang in there, you'll find lots of support and info. here.

Tiffany


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