PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Bon San Koo AU - Yoonah Song AU - Kyung Bin Joo AU - Seunghun Lee AU - Tae-Hwan Kim TI - Radiologic Changes in the Symphysis Pubis of Male Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis AID - 10.3899/jrheum.150711 DP - 2016 Feb 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 330--334 VI - 43 IP - 2 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/2/330.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/2/330.full SO - J Rheumatol2016 Feb 01; 43 AB - Objective. We aimed to evaluate the involvement of the symphysis pubis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and to assess the correlations between symphysis pubis changes and clinical findings.Methods. We retrospectively evaluated a total of 222 male patients with AS who underwent pelvic and cervical/lumbar spine radiography at the Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases from August 2004 to February 2014. Radiographs were examined by 2 experienced radiologists, and radiographic damage was scored as follows: 0 (no damage), 1 (subtle irregularity and/or subchondral sclerosis), 2 (erosion), 3 (partial ankylosis), and 4 (total ankylosis). We evaluated the patients’ clinical characteristics and analyzed their correlations with radiographic symphysis pubis changes.Results. The mean patient age was 30.5 ± 8.3 years and mean disease duration was 7.1 ± 4.6 years; 105 patients (47.3%) exhibited radiologic damage in the symphysis pubis. Moreover, 75, 28, 0, and 2 patients had scores of 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. When comparing the normal (score 0) and abnormal (score 1–4) symphysis pubis groups, the latter had a longer symptom duration (10.1 ± 7.0 vs 7.6 ± 5.8 yrs, p = 0.004) and higher modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS; 18.6 ± 17.0 vs. 14.3 ± 13.4, p = 0.038). Moreover, a significant correlation was noted between the radiographic symphysis pubis damage score and mSASSS (r2 = 0.147, p = 0.029).Conclusion. Among male patients with AS, 47.3% exhibited symphysis pubis involvement. Moreover, a correlation was observed between the radiographic symphysis pubis and spine changes.