| Abstract
| - SUMMARY. A double-blind between-patient comparison of diclofenac sodium (Voltaren) 150 mg daily and sulindac 400 mg daily in 62 patients with active ankylosing spondylitis was carried out. After a seven-day wash-out period in which current anti-inflammatory drugs were tailed off, patients were entered into the trial and treated for four weeks. Both drugs significantly reduced the activity of the disease. There were no statistically significant differences between the effects of the two drugs, although diclofenac appeared to be marginally more effective. In respect of finger-floor distance, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01) in favour of diclofenac. Subjective assessment by the patient and the physicians both favoured diclofenac but the difference was not statistically significant. Adverse reactions were mild and occurred slightly more frequently in the sulindac group. No significant laboratory abnormalities were found. The present work has shown that diclofenac has a useful role in the management of ankylosing spondylitis.
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