Introduction and treatment of dense osteitis

  I am often asked by patients online about this disease including treatment. Many patients are misdiagnosed as ankylosing and given high doses of immunosuppressants, one of which is tretinoin polysaccharide, which can lead to menopause, non-removable dark spots on the face, etc. Neither should be used. Some patients are even given biologic agents that lead to a large number of side effects.  Introduction Dense osteitis is common in young people, especially in women. Typical cases are seen after pregnancy in women younger than 40 years. Although there are many reports of iliac dense osteitis during pregnancy, no clear correlation between pregnancy and iliac dense osteitis has been found, and iliac dense osteitis can occur in men and in unproductive women.  In contrast, there are no abnormalities in the sacroiliac joint such as erosive changes (and ankylosis) Symptoms: Patients with iliac dense osteitis usually present with intermittent lumbosacral pain, mostly confined to the lower back and sacrum, which can radiate to the buttocks and posterior thighs in a non-neurogenic pattern. This pain may persist during the day and night, sometimes more severe, without significant morning stiffness. Patients usually have no systemic symptoms (e.g., weight loss, malaise, and fever) and no peripheral joint swelling or tendon telangiectasia.  The main radiological manifestation of iliac dense osteoarthritis is increased bone density in the iliac auricle near the sacroiliac joint surface, with uniform dense white triangular bony bands with clear edges, disappearance of bone trabeculae, neat and clear sacroiliac joint gap, and no bone destruction.  Treatment: To date, no studies have been published on specific treatments effective for this disease in Western medicine. Treatment options for dense iliac osteitis include physical therapy as well as NSAID therapy, although there is no evidence of an inflammatory component to the disease and therefore the indications for the application of NSAIDs are unclear.  Currently from my clinical experience dense osteochondritis is only treated with Chinese medicine, including internal herbal medicine and acupuncture.