Extraskeletal symptoms and comorbidities of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a noninflammatory disease characterized by calcification and ossification of soft tissues, mainly enthesis and spinal ligaments. The clinical presentation primarily includes spinal involvement-induced pain and range of motion. Although rare, life-threatening gastrointestinal, respiratory or neurological events or severe morbidity due to bone compression on the adjacent structures may develop. There is a limited amount of data on DISH-related events in the literature. In recent years, comorbid metabolic disorders are of great interest in patients with DISH. The early diagnosis of these conditions as well as rare entities allows an effective multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of DISH. In this article, we review extraskeletal symptoms and associated comorbidities in patients with DISH. (c) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.