How do rheumatologists make a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis?

Bloodwork and X-rays: After clinically examining you, a diagnosis of this type of inflammatory arthritis is done with xrays and bloodwork.

See details: Ank spondy is relatively uncommon in females and is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease. The diagnosis is made by history and physical exam as well as testing for the presence of the hla-b27 antigen, x rays and sometimes mris. The incidence of a positive b27 is much lower in females than it is in males.