HLA B27-positive ankylosing spondylitis professional soccer player with a successful return to sports

Background

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a disease of young adulthood and without adequate treatment it dramatically reduces physical activity.

Aim of the work

To present a case with AS that successfully returned to professionally playing sports after treatment.

Case presentation

A 19-year-old Eastern European Russian professional male soccer player with AS complained of right ankle joint pain not related to any trauma or injury and gradually intensified. The player's regular medical tests during the preceding years and were unremarkable. He would occasionally complain of discomfort in the ankle joints, sacroiliac area and symphysis but did not limit his regular training activity. He received the standard treatment of sports injuries that included: 14 days of limited physical activity, ibuprofen 200 mg twice/day, cryotherapy and joint taping. Examination revealed mobile joints, regular in shape without any swelling. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 60 mm/1st hr and C-reactive protein (CRP) 50 mg/dl. AS was diagnosed as he fulfilled the classification criteria. HLA-B27 was positive, left sacroiliitis was present on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The Bath AS disease activity index (BASDAI) was 5.9. Treatment also included golimumab 50 mg/month. He improved, returned to regular training and continued playing sports professionally amid supportive therapy. The last BASDAI was 1.5.

Conclusions

AS patients with initially high levels of physical activity may restore professionally playing of sports when a proper management plan is provided. Further monitoring is warranted and the creation of a database for athletes with rheumatic diseases is recommended in order to standardize treatment protocols.