Ankylosing spondylitis: current approaches to treatment.

To date there is no definite cure for ankylosing spondylitis. However, modern treatment improves the quality of life and the final outcome for most patients. Patient education and physiotherapy form the basis of treatment. In pharmacotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have a central role. Second-line drugs such as sulfasalazine, immunomodulating agents and other antirheumatic disease-modifying drugs should be applied if the disease is active. Corticosteroids are used mainly intra-articularly. The problem of osteoporosis in ankylosing spondylitis is gaining more interest, and efforts to prevent or treat it will increase. It is critical to make an early diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis and in active cases start intensive therapy before irreversible damage takes place.