Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa associated with HLA-B39-positive undifferentiated spondyloarthritis in a Japanese patient

Vol.22 No.5

Case Report

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa associated with HLA-B39-positive undifferentiated spondyloarthritis in a Japanese patient

Authors

Hiromasa Nakano¹ , Seido Ooka¹ , Tomohiko Shibata¹ , Hitoshi Ogawa¹ , Hiroshi Ito¹ , Yukiko Takakuwa¹ , Kumiko Tonooka¹ , Akihiko Maeda¹ , Yoshioki Yamasaki¹ , Tomofumi Kiyokawa¹ , Hiroko Nagafuchi¹ , Hidehiro Yamada, Shoichi Ozaki¹

Division of Rheumatology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 216-8511, Japan

Received:

29 August 2011

Accepted:

28 November 2011

Published online:

21 January 2012

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Abstract

We present the case of a 43-year-old man diagnosed with HLA-B39-positive spondyloarthritis who developed cutaneous lesions consistent with cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (CPN). Previous studies indicated an elevated incidence of HLA-B39 in HLA-B27-negative Japanese patients with spondyloarthritis. This case suggested that CPN may also occur in association with forms of HLA-B39-positive spondyloarthritis. The rarity of this association is emphasized. Therapy with corticosteroid and methotrexate improved both the cutaneous lesions and the clinical symptoms of spondyloarthritis.

Key words

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa - HLA B27 - HLA B39 - Spondyloarthropathy - Spondyloarthritis