[A case of SAPHO syndrome with paraplegia due to a thoracic kyphosis].

Abstract

A 63-year-old man visited our hospital in January 1993 because of back pain, which had been present for a year and persisted. The patient was diagnosed compression fracture of thoracic spine by another hospital. Thoracic plain radiographs revealed destructive and sclerotic changes with reduction of height of T 8, T 9 vertebral body. He had kyphosis on this level. Radiographs of the chest revealed hyperostosis of bilateral proximal clavicle. We diagnosed SAPHO syndrome (synovitis, acne, pustlosis, hyperostosis, and osteomyelitis: SAPHO) with T 8, T 9 spondylodiscitis, however without any skin manifestations. Oral indomethacin was effective, however thoracic kyphosis progressed gradually. Spastic gait and paraplegia appeared from February 1998, at last on July he was unable to walk independently. MRI showed the compression of spinal cord on T 8, T 9 level. We performed circumferential decompression and fusion with instrumentation. His paraplegia improved after surgery. We describe a rare case of SAPHO syndrome with paraplegia due to a thoracic kyphosis.