[Spontaneous pneumothorax associated with ankylosing spondylitis].

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the axial skeleton and more frequently the sacro-iliac joints. Pleuropulmonary involvement is an uncommon event. Apical fibrosis, interstitial infiltrates, and pleural thickening are thought to be the main patterns. Rare cases of spontaneous pneumothorax were reported in the literature. A 62-year-old man, who had a diagnosis of AS since May 1994, was admitted for exertional dyspnea. The diagnosis of apical fibrosis related to AS was essentially based on radiological arguments. The patient was again hospitalized in 2011 for thoracic pain. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a right partial pneumothorax. The evolution was marked by the total regression of the pneumothorax under oxygen and strict rest.