Background: A case history of a patient with ankylosing spondylitis and peripheral arthritis unresponsive to the conventional drug therapy, but succesfully controlled by the use of cyclosporin.
Material/Methods: In a 68 years old female patient with a 36 years history of typical ankylosing spondylitis a peripheral polyarthritis (hands, feet, wirists, and knees) developped. The patient did not suffer any other disease known to cause sccondary spondylitis (psoriasis, inflammatory, bowel, disease). After the unsuccesful usc of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs a combination therap with cyclosporin (4mg/kg/day) and azapropazone (300mg t.i.d.) was introduced.
Results: Clinical improvement was achieved after 6 months of combined therapy, the polyarthritis completely resolved after one year. Therefore cyclosporin was discontinued. After one year the polyarthritis reappeared therefore the cyclosporin therapy was reinstituted with succes.
Conclusions: Cyclosporin has proved consistently effective in our case to control the peripheral arthritis associated with ankylosing spondylitis.

Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis, peripheral arthritis, Cyclosporin-A