Application of ultrasound in a case of eosinophilic fasciitis mimicking stiff-person syndrome.

Hiroki Yamazaki, Naoko Matsui, Naoko Takamatsu, Takeshi Yoshida, Koji Fukushima, Tadayuki Takata, Yusuke Osaki, Keiko Tanaka, Yoshiaki Kubo, Yuishin Izumi

Neuromuscular disorders : NMD 2022 Jul

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Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare disorder characterized by muscle stiffness mimicking other neuromuscular diseases. The diagnosis of EF is made on the basis of typical skin lesions. We report a case of a 36-year-old male patient with suspected stiff-person syndrome (SPS), who presented with progressive limb muscle stiffness and limited mobility of both wrists without obvious skin changes. Ultrasound revealed fascial thickening of bilateral upper and lower limb muscles and enlargement of hypoechoic tissues around the flexor digitorum tendons of the wrist. Skin and fascia biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of EF. Prednisolone therapy resulted in the improvement of muscle stiffness and tightness. Our findings suggest the need to consider connective tissue diseases such as EF in a patient with atypical features of SPS. Ultrasound is helpful for visualizing the causes of muscle stiffness and joint contractures in EF patients. Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Hiroki Yamazaki, Naoko Matsui, Naoko Takamatsu, Takeshi Yoshida, Koji Fukushima, Tadayuki Takata, Yusuke Osaki, Keiko Tanaka, Yoshiaki Kubo, Yuishin Izumi. Application of ultrasound in a case of eosinophilic fasciitis mimicking stiff-person syndrome. Neuromuscular disorders : NMD. 2022 Jul;32(7):590-593