Despite both being autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are unrelated conditions. They rarely coexist, and they differ significantly in symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Background: Although ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is primarily a disease of the spine and the large joints, it may also have extra-articular involvement. There are limited cases of AS patients developing multiple sclerosis (MS).
Sarcoidosis is another inflammatory autoimmune disease that shares some symptoms with MS, including fatigue and decreased vision. But sarcoidosis most commonly affects the lungs, lymph nodes, and skin, causing a cough or wheezing, swollen lymph nodes, and lumps, sores, or areas of discoloration on the skin.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by thickening of the skin and organ fibrosis. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis with long-term inflammation of the axial joints.
Hanrahan et al. in 1988 investigated the radiological evidence of AS in a series of 20 HLA-B 27 positive MS patients and reported that 5 cases fit the criteria for MS as did Mignarri et al who reported a single case in a HLA-B27 positive patient very similar in presentation to ours [8-10].
Cervical spine spondylosis develops in younger MS patients with increased disability and increased brain lesion burden. Spasticity secondary to the brain lesions and abnormal expression of ECM proteins in the brain and the disk are proposed as a possible pathogenetic mechanism.
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a rare chronic disease that happens when your immune system attacks specific parts of your central nervous system. Experts previously thought this was a rare type of multiple sclerosis (MS) but now recognize it's a separate condition.
These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.
Some conditions that doctors may commonly misdiagnose as MS include migraine, RIS, spondylopathy, and neuropathy. To accurately diagnose MS, doctors must rule out conditions with similar symptoms and look for signs and symptoms specific to MS. As such, the process of diagnosing MS may be lengthy and complex.
Inflammatory diseases like ankylosing spondylitis can result in damage to brain tissue. When this occurs, brain lesions can form. These abnormalities can be diagnosed through medical imaging (such as an MRI or CT scan).
"B27 disease" is a new autoimmune disease that afflicts millions of people throughout the world. "B27 disease" occurs in individuals who have ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or preankylosing spondylitis and/or uveitis and are also positive for HLA-B27.
Ankylosing spondylitis has no known specific cause, though genetic factors seem to be involved. In particular, people who have a gene called HLA-B27 are at a greatly increased risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis. However, only some people with the gene develop the condition.
At this time, no single test diagnoses ankylosing spondylitis. Your doctor may order a blood test to check for the HLA-B27 gene, which is present in most people with the disease. You may have the HLA-B27 gene and never develop ankylosing spondylitis, but it can give doctors more information when making a diagnosis.
While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections and rare hereditary diseases.
MRI is considered the best test to help diagnose MS. However, 5% of people with MS do not have abnormalities detected on MRI; thus, a "negative" scan does not completely rule out MS. In addition, some common changes of aging may look like MS on a MRI.
Muscle spasms and stiffness: Formally called spasticity, this symptom can range from mild feelings of muscle tightness to severe and painful spasms, according to the National MS Society, and it most commonly affects the legs.
Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody Disease (MOGAD)
MOGAD is an autoimmune disorder that shares some symptoms with multiple sclerosis and may be misdiagnosed as MS.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a long-lasting (chronic) disease of the central nervous system. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the body attacks itself by mistake. MS is an unpredictable disease that affects people differently. Some people with MS may have only mild symptoms.
Another common condition of the spine that can cause neurologic symptoms similar to MS is cervical spondylosis, which is arthritis of the neck that occurs with normal aging. Rarely, another structural problem within the spine like a tumor can mimic symptoms of MS.
Spondylopathies. Spondylopathies refers to a group of disorders characterized by the breakdown of joints, tendons, and/or ligaments in the spine. These conditions can be difficult to diagnose because they cause symptoms that are similar to those seen in individuals with MS.
If you're living with MS, you're at a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis — and other conditions — than the general population.