Bilateral lower limb weakness due to transverse myelitis as a first presentation of ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

The occurrence of transverse myelitis (TM) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients is a rarely reported event with only a few reports of similar cases in existing literature. When faced with a patient with TM, attention should be focused on determining the cause. AS should be kept in mind as a possible etiology. We report the case of a 58-year-old female patient who presented at Al-Ahli Hospital in Palestine, with a 3-day history of lower limb weakness, preceded by a 1-month history of lower back pain with radiation to lower limbs. Based on clinical findings and a comprehensive diagnostic work-up, the patient was diagnosed with TM along with AS. Steroid therapy was started, with pulse therapy having minimal effect. Due to the poor response to steroid therapy, plasmapheresis was done with a good response. After careful consideration, our patient was discharged on low-dose oral glucocorticoids for her TM, and methotrexate for her AS, with close follow-up by a neurologist and a rheumatologist.