HEALTH COACH - Ankylosing Spondylitis: Radiography and Imaging Techniques

HEALTH COACH -

 Ankylosing Spondylitis: Radiography and Imaging Techniques  






















 X - rays and other imaging techniques for ankylosing spondylitis are an important part of an accurate diagnosis of this condition. 
 
 Imaging helps doctors recognize the signs of ankylosing spondylitis and recommend treatment. 

 There are a few different methods that are used in the process. There may also be risks for the people to be considered. 





 Overview of the whole 

  
  People suffering from ankylosing spondylitis undergo rigidity and pain that gradually worsen over time.  

 Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that most often affects the back and the sacroiliac joints. These joints consist of the bones near the hips and lower back called sacrum and ilium. 

 AS causes stiffness and pain that can progressively become worse. As the condition progresses, ankylosis may occur. 

 Ankylosis is the process of a rigid or fixed joint, or bone merging together. 

 In case of AS progression, it is normal that one or more bones of the spine merge together. The sacro-iliac joints can merge completely. 

 There are other occurrences of ankylosis in the AS. However, these types of fusion are only two of the signs that doctors look for when using X-rays or other imaging techniques to check the AS. 


 Use of radiography in the diagnosis of AS 

 X-rays produce high-energy light that can penetrate objects that normal light can not. The light waves delivered by the X-rays can pass through the hair and skin, but are blocked by the bones. 

 When a part of the body is scanned by an X-ray, an image of the inner body is produced. X-rays are commonly used in medical fields to monitor teeth and bones. The process of taking these images is called X-ray. 

 X-rays and radiography are very important in the diagnosis and monitoring of AS. 

 When a doctor or rheumatologist suspects that a person has an AS, she usually takes blood tests and orders X-rays from the spine and sacro-iliac joints. 

 Problems in the sacroiliac joints are characteristic of AS, which means that all the symptoms appearing in the sacroiliac joints are strong indicators that someone has AS 
.

  
  X-rays can be useful for doctors to monitor ankylosing spondylitis as it progresses.  

 Typical signs include enlargement or thinning of the sacro-iliac joint. In a person who has AS progressed, the joint may seem very thin or not visible at all. 

 Doctors also take pictures of the spine to help them diagnose. The characteristics of spinal problems in AS are the small bone spurs called syndesmophytes, which are thin projections of bones that come out from the corners of the vertebra. 

 The inflammation caused by AS may continue to mount the spine as the condition progresses. Doctors will use X-rays to monitor these signs. The joints of each bone in the spine may become inflamed, eventually leading to two or more bones merging together. 

 In those who have difficulty breathing, doctors take an image of the joints where the ribs connect to the spine. The joints here can be fused and severely restrict the respiration and pulmonary capacity of the patient. This will also affect posture. 

 Doctors use these X - rays to help them diagnose AS, but they are also useful if a person already knows that they have AS. The images allow doctors to see how far the disorder has progressed. This can help to create a treatment plan, especially in cases where drug options are being considered. 


 Other imaging techniques 

 X-rays are the most common way for doctors to look at bones, but these are not the only imaging techniques used to diagnose AS. Some other techniques that can be valuable to rheumatologists and people with AS include CT scans, MRIs and ultrasound. 

 tomodensitometry 

 In some cases, physicians may request a computed tomography (CT) or computed tomography (CT) scan. A CT scan takes a series of X-rays and gathers them to better see the bones and tissues inside the body. CT scans are more reliable and create more high-resolution images than X-rays. 

 CT scans may provide a more complete picture in cases where X-ray images are inconclusive or seem normal. Some signs of AS may be more apparent on a CT scan, such as joint erosion or areas where ankylosis occurs. 

 The main use for CT scans in AS is to see and define where the bones and joints have disappeared and look for fractures. 

 The use of CT scans is still somewhat limited for AS cases, however. This is because CT scans require a higher dose of radiation than X-rays and MRIs, and they can give an incomplete image. 

 In addition, CT scans are not as good for detecting soft tissue, so any damage to soft tissue can go unnoticed until it causes structural damage in the body. 

 MRI 

  
  A magnetic imaging machine is very sensitive and can take changes in the body that would be missed by X-rays and CT scans.  

 MRI represents magnetic resonance imaging. The MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures of the inside of the body. 

 MRI machines are very sensitive and can offer better soft tissue contrast in images than other options. This makes them ideal for taking images of organs or other soft tissues. 

 MRI is the most sensitive image form available for AS cases. The sensitivity of the MRI allows doctors to detect or follow inflammation in bone or other soft tissue. 

 This is the simplest imaging technique to detect the early symptoms of the spine and sacro-excitatory joints, including those missed by X-rays and CT scans. 

 Ultrasonography 

 Ultrasonography (US) has limited use in the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. The United States may be used by a rheumatologist to find other complications associated with the disorder, but the other imaging techniques described here will be used for the symptoms of AS itself. 






 
 Risk of X-ray imaging 

 Some people may be concerned about the use of X - rays and computed tomography because of the radiation they emit. 

 People are experiencing radiation every day from X-rays in our environment. But X-rays and CT scans may expose the body to a higher than normal radiation level. This radiation can cause mutations in human DNA that can lead to cancer later in life. 

 As a result, X-rays and CT scans are deemed to have the potential to cause cancer. However, the actual increase in health risk associated with exposure to X-rays or normal CT scan seems to be low, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. 

 With normal exposure to X-rays and CT scans, there appears to be very little increased risk of developing cancer at a later stage. 

  Written by Jon Johnson