title: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with low dose methotrexate.
abstract: We describe 2 patients who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during treatment with low dose methotrexate (MTX) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A review of the literature identified 16 more cases published in English. Among these 18 patients, the mean RA duration was 16 yrs and lymphoma developed after a mean of 2.8 yrs of treatment with MTX. The mean total dose of MTX was 1224 mg. Although 3 patients had spontaneous regression of lymphoma, 5 of the 18 patients died. It is not known whether there is cause-effect relationship between MTX and lymphoma among patients with RA. Special awareness of this possible complication of MTX is important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria 61656, USA.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Yunus
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D008727:Methotrexate