Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis

Forestier 's disease ( diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, DISH short ) is a French internist after Jacques Forestier ( 1890-1978 ) named spinal disorder. It comes mainly in elderly patients to bony attachments to the vertebral bodies, which increase more and more in the course and in time lead to a bridging of the intervertebral disc spaces. As the disease Forestier large sections of the spine affects, he is accompanied by an increasing stiffening of the spine.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of DISH can be placed on X- native images alone. At the vertebral bodies can be seen in the radiograph usually a right-side frosting -like coating of bone ( hyperostosis ). By bridging of the intervertebral disc space, the mobility of the spine in that segment is canceled. The M. Forestier is frequently observed in patients with diabetes (diabetes mellitus) and dyslipidemia. But he also acts as an independent disease without other underlying disease.

Differential Diagnosis

Bony outgrowths ( osteophytes ) also occur in the spine wear. In Crohn's Forestier but do not form osteophytes and it affects not only worn spine sections.

Therapy

So far, there are no therapeutic approaches aimed at slowing the increasing calcification. Treatment is symptomatic, that is with analgesics for pain, inflammation inhibitors in a superimposed inflammatory symptoms and with physical therapy (especially heat treatments and massages with accompanying muscle tension ) and physiotherapy to avoid malfunctions or recovery of function in already occurred functional deficits.