Herbert and Wolfgang KELLNER, two brothers working in different medical departments of the university of Munich, deal with the diagnosis and treatment of a sacroiliitis. The article is a patient-adapted version of a scientific publication. A second article on the radiographic methods of diagnosing a sacroiliitis written by the same authors will appear in our next issue.

Wolfgang DIHLMANN, a pioneer of the radiographic investigation of sacroiliitis and ankylosing spondylitis, presents an overview of the diseases which can be associated with spinal ankylosis. To this group of diseases belong well-known disorders such as DISH and the spondyloarthropathies, but also spondylitis migrans, the SAPHO syndrome, and some less common disorders. The article is a patient-adapted version of an article originally published in Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie.

Klaus-Peter STOCK summarises in his article possible gastro-enteric side effects of NSAIDs and risk factors and gives advice on how to prevent these dangerous mucous erosions and ulcers. This article originally appeared in Rheuma-Journal, a commercial German journal for patients with rheumatic diseases.

The article on being an informed consumer of drugs by Laurie SAVAGE, editor of Spondylitis Plus, the newsletter of the Spondylitis Association of America, has been translated from that newsletter. After drug interactions have extensively been discussed in the media some months ago, the author recommends to make the doctor or pharmacist aware of all drugs taken, including vitamins, nutritional supplements and herbal products available without prescription.

My report on this year’s congress of the German Society of Rheumatology contains information on the present state of research on the immunologic background of our disease, on differences between synovial defects in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, on progresses in diagnosing an undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy or AS by magnetic resonance imaging and with the help of a simple diagnosis scheme developed by Martin RUDWALEIT in Berlin. Also discussed are the therapeutic results with sulphasalazine, with infliximab, or with 224-radiumchloride, and results concerning the importance of patient education. In addition, we show two cartoons chosen from a cartoon exhibition connected with this congress.

Michel BENOIST from Paris describes, in a report translated from SPINE (1995), the life and research of Pierre Marie who delivered in 1898 an accurate description of ankylosing spondylitis, in contrast to Wladimir Bechterew after whom the disease is often named in our country. This report completes our series of reports on the life of famous scientists who contributed to the knowledge of AS and related diseases.

Hanskarl TREIBER describes, as an AS patient, his personal experiences before and after spinal surgery. A photograph shows him skiing about two years after reconstructive spinal osteotomy correcting his severe kyphotic deformity.

Letters to the editor concern the value of vitamin E, magnesium and calcium in the treatment of AS.

DVMB News:
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