Clinical studies of destructive spondylarthropathy in long-term hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Kuntz et al reported recently a new syndrome characterized by the development of destructive spondylarthropathy (DSA) in patients on long-term hemodialysis (HD). The diagnosis of DSA was based on the following radiologic signs: 1) severe narrowing of the intervertebral disc, 2) erosions and geodes of the adjacent vertebral plates and 3) absence of significant osteophytosis. The identification of hydroxyapatite crystals in 1 disc specimen led to the suggestion that hydroxyapatite crystal deposition may account for this syndrome. Sebert et al performed a pathological study in 4 long-term HD patients with DSA. It showed that DSA was associated