Tenosynovitis as a possible feature of immune reconstitution syndrome during highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART)

Abstract

An immune reconstitution syndrome (IRS) occurs in between 10% and 25% of patients starting highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). A 49-year-old patient presents a tenosynovitis 6 weeks after HAART initiation. In our patient, exhaustive tests for infectious, inflammatory and drug-related causes of tenosynovitis were negative. The improvement obtained with high-dose Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory-drug (NSAID) therapy and the patient's immunovirologic profile, supported a diagnosis of tenosynovitis associated with immune reconstitution, a form of IRS that has not previously been described. This original case increase the broad spectrum of inflammatory rheumatologic disorders associated with HIV infection.