Axial Spondyloarthritis and IgA Vasculitis: Rare Association or Just Not Recognized
Author(s): ROBIN SIA, MUEED MIAN
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) also known as ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory arthritis involving the spine and sacroiliac joints with extra-musculoskeletal manifestations most commonly involving the eye, gut and skin. Other organ involvement can occur including cardiac (aortic insufficiency), lungs (upper-lobe predominant interstitial fibrosis) and kidneys (nephritic syndrome). Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) formally known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura [HSP] is the most common form of systemic vasculitis in children and is often self-limited. The disease is characterized by palpable purpura, arthritis or arthralgia, abdominal pain as well as kidney involvement. It has been proposed that there is a selective increase of serum IgA levels during active inflammatory disease of axSpA. Here we explore a case of a gentleman who presents with IgA vasculitis and was found to have a new diagnosis of axSpA. We have also reviewed the current literature of cases of IgAV on the background of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
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