title: Resolution of a soft-tissue sarcoma in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis after discontinuation of azathioprine therapy.
abstract: An 85-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis that was treated with azathioprine presented with a posterior thoracic soft-tissue mass. A computed tomographic scan demonstrated a large mass in the chest wall that extended into the pleural space and several pulmonary nodules that were consistent with metastatic disease. A fine-needle biopsy was performed, and a morphologic diagnosis of sarcoma was made. As the patient was relatively asymptomatic and the lesion was inaccessible to a surgical procedure, no therapy was recommended. Therapy with azathioprine was discontinued. One year later, the mass had resolved. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a soft-tissue sarcoma complicating azathioprine treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Csuka
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hanson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D001379:Azathioprine