Rheumatic Disorders

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Rick is a 27-year-old who works in an accounting firm. He had started to experience lower back pain and stiffness that he thought were a result of the long hours he spent at his desk. More recently, however, he began to have sleep difficulties. He found that he often woke up during the night feeling hot and sometimes sweaty. Furthermore, his back pain disrupted his sleep, particularly when it radiated around his pelvis and into his thighs. When his lack of sleep began to interfere with his work, he went to an osteopath to see what was wrong. She listened to his case history carefully. Upon physical examination, she noted a slight decrease in his lumbar lordosis and a reduced range of movement in his lumbar spine. His blood tests revealed the presence of HLA-B27, an elevated ESR, and absence of RH. His radiograph showed evidence of sacroiliitis.

What is the likely diagnosis Rick received? What are the common clinical presentation and manifestations of the disease?
Why is osteoarthritis of the hips a potential secondary complication of this disease? What are the structural changes that occur in the articular cartilage of an osteoarthritic joint?
What is the effect of advanced ankylosing spondylitis on lung function?

Rheumatic Disorders