A case of ankylosing spondylitis from the excavations at kili Çli necropolis (sinope, northern turkey) and its implications on the antiquity of the disease in anatolia

In this study, we aimed to identify an AS case which has AS ‐originated pathological changes on a relatively well‐preserved middle‐aged male skeleton, recovered from the archaeological excavation of Kılıçlı Church, Sinope, Northern Turkey and dated to the 18‐19th centuries. In addition, we made a differential diagnosis with other pathologies such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), reactive arthritis (ReA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In the specimen there are four macroscopic features which are diagnostic of AS: (1) both sacroiliac joints were symmetrically obliterated, (2) spinal fusion was observed without skipping any vertebrae, (3) the spine has “bamboo spine” appearance, and (4) the vertebral syndesmophytes caused squaring of the vertebral bodies. We conclude that the Kılıçlı skeleton, one of the few archaeological specimens showing all symptoms of AS disease, is the first convincing case in Anatolia.
Source: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology - Category: Science Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research