Adjuvant-induced autoimmune syndrome (ASIA syndrome) and the role of sonography in its diagnosis: a case-based review.

Abstract

Adjuvant-induced autoimmune/ autoinflammatory syndrome (ASIA) is a group of symptoms that are often found in other systemic, autoimmune diseases, which makes its recognition and diagnosis a growing problem in modern clinical practice. Although not completely clear, the genesis is associated with adjuvants - substances found in implants, vaccines, substances external to the body that lead to an exaggerated immune response. Key points of the clinical and paraclinical specificity of the disease are arthralgias, myalgias, cognitive disorders, and positivity of various autoimmune and inflammatory markers. The objectives of this report are to summarize current information about the disease, discuss diagnostic criteria, and review therapeutic options, placing special interest on the ultrasound findings. The presented case outlines the diagnostic difficulty even with the various clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings. Directing clinical thought towards this syndrome is of utmost importance for its easier recognition in practice and achieving favorable outcomes in the treatment of affected patients.