Difficult diagnosis of infliximab-related miliary tuberculosis.
The use of Infliximab in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid diseases unresponsive to conventional therapies has been reported to be complicated by opportunistic infections. We report the case of a 56-yr old female rheumatoid arthritis patient complaining of fever and respiratory symptoms 9 months after commencing Infliximab, who received no ethiologic diagnosis for the six months before admission. Tuberculosis was suspected upon chest radiographic pictures and empirical treatment for miliary tuberculosis instated in the wake of microbiological confirmation. The case typifies the difficulties of diagnosing miliary tuberculosis in the immunocompromised as well as in the immunocompetent patient.
Contini
S
S
Cattedra di Malattie Respiratorie e Scuola di Specializzazione in Malattie Respiratorie, Università Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy.
Raimondi
G
G
Graziano
P
P
Saltini
C
C
Bocchino
M
M
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014391:Tuberculosis, Miliary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000069285:Infliximab