Ultrasound-guided intra-articular corticosteroid injection in a patient with manubriosternal joint involvement of ankylosing spondylitis: A case report

BACKGROUND: Manubriosternal joint (MSJ) disease is a rare cause of anterior chest pain but can be a major sign of systemic arthritic involvement. In patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of systemic arthritis, chest pain can be due to MSJ involvement and can be improved by ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection into the joint. CASE SUMMARY: A 64-year-old man visited our pain clinic complaining of anterior chest pain. There were no abnormal findings on lateral sternum X-ray, but arthritic changes in the MSJ were observed on single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography. We performed additional laboratory tests, and he was finally diagnosed with AS. For pain relief, we performed ultrasound-guided intra-articular (IA) corticosteroid injections into the MSJ. After the injections, his pain nearly resolved. CONCLUSION: For patients complaining of anterior chest pain, AS should be considered, and single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography can be helpful in diagnosis. In addition, ultrasound-guided IA corticosteroid injections may be effective for pain relief.