Abstract
Two definitions of the “disease duration” of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have been used in the literature: (1) duration since first symptoms connected with AS and (2) duration since diagnosis of AS. To investigate how useful these definitions are for research, we reinvestigated the data of four surveys completed by patients with AS in the years since 1996. We found that the majority of the patients remembered the age at first symptoms with an accuracy of ≤1 year, and that the difference between both definitions (the delay in diagnosis) was between 9.8 and 10.4 years on average, with extreme values of more than 30 years being not very seldom. Because the error made using the duration since diagnosis as “disease duration” is much larger than the inaccuracy taken into account using the duration since first symptoms, only the duration since first symptoms connected with AS should be used as definition for the term “disease duration” of AS.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Spoorenberg A, van der Heijde D, de Klerk E, Dougados M, de Vlam K, Mielants H, van der Tempel H, van der Linden S (1999) A comparative study of the usefulness of the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index and the Dougados functional index in the assessment of ankylosing spondylitis. J Rheumatol 26:961–965
Vosse D, van der Heijde D, Landewé R, Geusens P, Mielants H, Dougados M, van der Linden S (2006) Determinants of hyperkyphosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis 65:770–774
Davis JC, Dougados M, Braun J, Sieper J, van der Heijde D, van der Linden S, for the ASAS (Assessment of Ankylosing Spondylitis) International Working Group (2006) The definition of disease duration in ankylosing spondylitis: reassessing the concept. Ann Rheum Dis 65:1518–1520
Schmidt KL, Schafer U (1982) Rehabilitationsprobleme bei der ankylosierenden Spondylitis. Akt Rheumatol 7 Sonderheft: 130–138
Feldtkeller E (1998) Unterschiede im Krankheitsverlauf männlicher und weiblicher Spondylarthritis-Patienten. Akt Rheumatol 23:145–153
Feldtkeller E (1998) Rückgang von Spondylarthritis-Schmerzen nach langer Krankheitdauer begünstigt männliche Patienten. Akt Rheumatol 23:176–181
Feldtkeller E (1999) Erkrankungsalter und Diagnoseverzögerung bei Spondylarthropathien. Z Rheumatol 58:21–30
Feldtkeller E, Bruckel J, Khan MA (2000) Scientific contributions of ankylosing spondylitis patient advocacy groups. Curr Opin Rheumatol 12:239–247
Feldtkeller E, Khan MA, van der Heijde D, van der Linden S, Braun J (2003) Age at disease onset and diagnosis delay in HLA-B27 negative vs. positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatol Int 23:61–66
Feldtkeller E, Vosse D, Geusens P, van der Linden S (2006) Prevalence and annual incidence of vertebral fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatol Int 26:234–239
Feldtkeller E, Hammel L, Kellner H (2005) Krankheitsaktivität und medikamentöse Therapie bei Spondylitis ankylosans—Ergebnisse einer Patientenbefragung. Akt Rheumatol 30:223–231
Feldtkeller E, Hammel L, Kellner H (2007) Aktuelle Trends in der Therapie der Spondylitis ankylosans—Ergebnisse einer Patientenbefragung. Akt Rheumatol (submitted)
Brophy S, Mackay K, Al-Saidi A, Taylor G, Calin A (2002) The natural history of ankylosing spondylitis as defined by radiological progression. J Rheumatol 29:1236–1243
Zink A, Listing J, Klindworth C, Zeidler H, for the German Collaborative Arthritis Centers (2001) The national database of the German collaborative arthritis centres: I. Structure, aims, and patients. Ann Rheum Dis 60:199–206
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Feldtkeller, E., Erlendsson, J. Definition of disease duration in ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatol Int 28, 693–696 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-007-0499-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-007-0499-y