Journal of Rare Disorders: Diagnosis & Therapy

Eyes See What Mind Knows: Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, a Mimicker of Spondyloarthritis

Introduction

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a rare congenital disorder characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification of the connective tissue structures. The axial skeleton involvement and progressive limitation makes it a close mimicker of axial spondyloarthritis.

Case report

We report a case of 46-year old woman with a history of progressive limitation of different body regions starting as scoliosis of the chest, spreading to neck limitation, and then progressively involving the limitation of different regions in a proximal to distal pattern with sparing of distal limbs. Radiographic evaluation revealed calcification of different muscles, and ligaments in both axial and peripheral skeleton, with normal metabolic bone panels, and normal sacroiliac joints.

Conclusion

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progrressiva is a close mimicker of Axial Spondyloarthritis in terms of clinical and some of the radiological features, encountered in clinical practice.

Author(s): Roshila Shamim1*, Asadullah Khan2, Saira Elaine Anwer Khan3, Muhammad Zeeshan Aslam4 and ArfaTalia5

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