Dysphagia in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis: A case report

BACKGROUND Ankylosing spondylitis(AS) is a systematic and rheumatic disease, which causes multiple symptoms. However, dysphagia due to the formation of a giant anterior cervical osteophyte is rare in patients with AS.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 65-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with AS and visited the hospital with a complaint of progressive dysphagia. The appropriate imaging examinations indicated that a giant anterior cervical osteophyte at C3-4 caused esophageal compression, which led to dysphagia. An operation for resection was performed without complications.CONCLUSION This case demonstrates that a large cervical osteophyte may be the cause of dysphagia in patients with AS, and early accurate diagnosis and surgical treatment are very important for the improvement of symptoms. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion are extremely effective and should be taken into consideration.