Intestinal necrosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving anti-TNF treatment.
Vasculitis leading to intestinal necrosis is a rare complication of rheumatoid arthritis. The introduction of anti-TNF treatment for methotrexate-resistant cases improved disease-control substantially in these often more aggresive forms of rheumatoid arthritis. As far as we know only two cases of severe vasculitis following anti-TNF treatment have been reported. We describe a 45-year old female patient with severe rheumatoid arthritis, who presented with an epileptic insult, renal failure and a quickly deteriorating general condition due to intestinal vasculitis, while she had been receiving anti-TNF treatment for 6 months.
Ruppert
M
M
Department of Abdominal Surgery, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
De Clerck
L
L
van Offel
J
J
Hubens
G
G
Balliu
L
L
Vaneerdeweg
W
W
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab