Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome (TRPS) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by distinctive craniofacial features, skeletal abnormalities and short stature;it is classified into three subtypes according to genetics and clinical manifestations. We report a Han Chinese family with 2 TRPS type III patients, the proband and his mother, with typical clinical presentation. There were also 3 ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients in this family, the proband’s mother and 2 uncles. A missense mutation, c.2762G>A (p.Arg921Gln), in the transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1 (TRPS1) gene was detected in the proband and his mother. The association between TRPS and AS and the diagnostic criteria for TRPS are discussed.