Department of Internal Medicine IV, Faculty of Medicine, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
Department of Surgery III, Faculty of Medicine, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Oct 17;60(10):1703. doi: 10.3390/medicina60101703.
This case report describes an uncommon overlap syndrome between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Initially, the patient was diagnosed with AS, for which he received various specific treatments, including TNF-α inhibitors. After five years of treatment with TNF-α inhibitor etanercept, the patient was referred for a full neurological assessment after he reported balance disturbances, postural instability, muscle weakness, and other neurological symptoms that indicated the presence of a neurological disorder. After a thorough investigation, the patient was diagnosed with ALS. This case report aims to contribute to the limited literature by providing a detailed case study regarding the crosstalk between AS and ALS while also exploring the potential underlying mechanisms and the possible link between TNF-α inhibitors therapy and ALS.
本病例报告描述了一种罕见的强直性脊柱炎(AS)和肌萎缩侧索硬化症(ALS)重叠综合征。最初,该患者被诊断为 AS,并接受了各种特定的治疗,包括 TNF-α 抑制剂。在接受 TNF-α 抑制剂依那西普治疗五年后,患者出现平衡障碍、姿势不稳、肌肉无力等神经症状,提示存在神经功能障碍,随后被转至神经科进行全面评估。经过详细检查,患者被诊断为 ALS。本病例报告旨在通过详细的病例研究,探讨 AS 和 ALS 之间的相互作用,以及 TNF-α 抑制剂治疗与 ALS 之间的潜在机制和可能联系,为有限的文献做出贡献。