title: An atypical psoriatic spondylitis case, successfully treated with methotrexate.
abstract: We present a 45-year-old male patient who was hospitalized with lumbar disc herniation and whose control magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings initially suggested brucella spondylitis. Definitive diagnosis, however, indicated psoriatic spondylitis and the patient was successfully treated with methotrexate. A diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation was made in May 1991, during his psoriasis vulgaris treatment. He was hospitalized in August 1994 with a complaint of low-back pain persisting over the last six months despite treatment with analgesics. He was evaluated by clinical, radiological, laboratory and scintigraphic methods, following control MRI findings suggesting infection of vertebral bodies, particularly pointing to brucellosis in addition to disc herniation. A diagnosis of psoriatic spondylitis was finally established and 7.5 mg methotrexate weekly was administered. Significant improvement was obtained of psoriatic skin lesions, low-back pain and MRI findings through a six-month treatment period.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tüzün
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Peker
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Küçüktaş
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gülbahar
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kovanlikaya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Füzün
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D008727:Methotrexate