Forestier Disease or Ankylosing Vertebral Hyperostosis

Background: Forestier's disease or ankylosing spinal hyperostosis is a degenerative condition of the elderly, characterized by ossification of the spinal and peripheral entheses. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study including patients hospitalized with Forestier's disease. Diagnosis was based on Resnick's radiological criteria. Results: Sixty patients were included (mean age: 63, M/F: 1.5). Metabolic comorbidities were noted in 75% of cases: overweight (40%), obesity (34%), arterial hypertension (45%), diabetes (40%), dyslipidemia (25%) and hyperuricemia (13.3%). Cardiovascular comorbidities (coronary artery disease, stroke) were noted in 13.3%. Symptomatic forms were the most frequent (80%): spinal pain (73.3%), radiculalgia (45%), peripheral arthralgia (15%), dysphagia and respiratory signs (5%). The dorsal tier was the most affected spinal tier(90%). Peripheral enthesopathy was present in 20% and hypertrophic osteoarthritis in 8.3% of cases. Conclusion: The clinico-radiological polymorphism and frequency of metabolic disorders were demonstrated in our series.