[Thoraco-abdominal aortitis in ankylosing spondylitis: a case report and review of literature].

UNLABELLED

We report a case of aortitis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis revealed by an unexplained persistent inflammation.

CASE STUDY

The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis was retained in a 64-year-old woman suffering from inflammatory back and neck pain combined with buttock pain relieved by anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) since 2004 and more recent bilateral heel pain in the morning since 2006; sacroiliitis was grade 3 on the right and grade 2 on the left (modified New-York criteria). The patient had remained asymptomatic from April 2006 to 2007 with NSAID as needed. Nevertheless, biological inflammation persisted: erythrocyte sedimentation rate 44 to 55 mm/h, activated protein C 34 to 90 mg/L. Complementary examinations are negative: bilateral temporal artery biopsy, endoscopy with duodenal biopsy looking for Tropheryma whipplei. The thoraco-abdominal and pelvic CT scan revealed aortitis extending from the abdominal aorta to the iliac axis. Treatment with prednisone 0.5 mg/kg was started to decrease the inflammatory aortitis.

DISCUSSION

The most "classical" cardiovascular damage observed in spondylitis is aortic insufficiency and conduction disturbances. The first cases of aortitis were reported in 1958.

CONCLUSION

Inflammatory vascular disease should be evoked as a possible diagnosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis the presenting an unexplained biological inflammation (ESR and CRP).