The difference between the early and late stages of ankylosing spondylitis lies mainly in the X-ray performance, clinical symptoms, prognosis and other aspects.
1. X-ray performance: in the early stage of ankylosing spondylitis, i.e., cryptic stage, patients in this stage generally do not see obvious abnormal changes on X-ray, with the progression of the disease, patients in the middle stage of ankylosing spondylitis can be seen in the X-ray of bone hyperplasia, mild narrowing of the joint space and other manifestations. In the late stage of ankylosing spondylitis, the X-ray shows obvious fusion of joint spaces and the formation of “bone bridges”.
2. Clinical manifestations: early ankylosing spondylitis patients do not have obvious clinical manifestations, more insidious onset of the disease, manifested as spinal discomfort, and can not cause patients to pay attention. In the middle stage of ankylosing spondylitis, patients may have obvious symptoms of lumbar pain, which is obvious at night and can be relieved after activities. In the late stage of the disease, patients may have serious spinal deformation, which seriously affects their lives.
3. Prognosis: In the early and middle stages of ankylosing spondylitis, if active and effective treatments are taken, the patient’s symptoms can be greatly relieved and further progression of the disease can be prevented. In the late stage of ankylosing spondylitis, patients have severe limitation of spinal and peripheral joint movement, and the treatment with conventional drugs is not effective.
Patients with ankylosing spondylitis can go to the rheumatology and immunology departments of regular hospitals for detailed consultation.