Acute toxoplasmosis infection in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis treated with adalimumab: a case report

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the axial skeleton, often beginning in the sacroiliac joints, but accompanied also by other signs, including enthesitis, lung fibrosis and eye involvement. AS generally occurs in the second or third decade of life with inflammatory low back pain and has a strong relation with HLA-B27. The objective of the treatment until the end of the 90’s was to ameliorate pain and stiffness and preserve function (1). Nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitors, and nonpharmalogic interventions, such as physiotherapy, exercise, education, and lifestyle modifications were the basis of the management. Therapy with agents like sulphasalazine was administered for peripheral arthritis (1, 2)...