Ankylosing spondylitis lung disease and Mycobacterium scrofulaceum

The development of apical pulmonary fibrosis and bullous disease is a rare but well recognized extra-articular manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (1–5). The fibro-bullous disease is usually asymptomatic and diagnosed at an incidental radiological examination. When symptoms do develop, they are usually due to superimposed colonization or infection by bacteria, fungi or mycobacteria (1, 3, 4).

Only six cases of non-tuberculous mycobacterial superinfection in AS have been reported (2–5). We report a patient with AS and progressive apical fibrobullous disease in whom Mycobacterium scrofulaceum was repeatedly cultured over a 12-year period.