Renal diseases in ankylosing spondylitis: Review of the literature illustrated by case reports

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can be accompanied by extraarticular manifestat ions in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurologic and renal organs. Seconda ry renal amyloidosis is the most common cause of renal involvement in AS (6 2%) followed by IgA nephropathy (30%), mesangioproliferative glomerulonephr itis (5%) as well as rarely membranous nephropathy (1%), focal segmental gl omerulosclerosis (1%) and focal proliferative glomeruleonephritis (1%). Tre atment associated nephrotoxicity may result from non-steroidal anti-inflamm atory drugs or disease modifying agents. The purpose of this paper was to alert for the possiblity of renal damage i n AS and to analyse the frequencies of different etiologies of renal involv ement. Two typical case reports of renal involvement in AS are presented to illustrate the clinical course of such patients. Renal side effects and po ssible pre-existing renal diseases should be taken into account while choos ing the appropriate medication for patients with AS.