M08.19: Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis Site unspecified

You have Bechterew’s disease.

Bechterew’s disease is a rheumatic disorder. It appeared before you were 16.

A rheumatic disease can affect the entire body. There may be inflammation in the bones, the connective tissue, and the joints. The symptoms can be more and less severe. It is thought that rheumatic diseases are caused by a person’s immune system producing antibodies against their own body. These antibodies attack the body’s own tissue. The tissue can get inflamed and damaged as a result.

With Bechterew’s disease, joints in the spinal column become inflamed.

The spine is made up of the individual vertebrae. Between every 2 vertebrae there is a vertebral disc. At the top and bottom of each there are 2 transverse processes. Along with the processes of adjacent vertebrae, these transverse processes form the small vertebral joints. The vertebral joints connect adjacent vertebrae to one another.

The joints that connect the spinal column to the pelvic bones can also be inflamed. The inflammation in the joints in your spine may make your spine more stiff. As a result, you may no longer be able to move your spine so well.

You also have inflammation in one or more joints.

An inflammation in the joints can cause various symptoms. Typical is a swollen, painful joint. The skin above the joint may also be red. It may also no longer be possible to move the joint as usual.