Successful treatment with rituximab in a patient with mental nerve neuropathy in primary Sjögren's syndrome.
We present the case of a 79-year-old female patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on home oxygen therapy who was diagnosed as having Sjögren's syndrome with arthralgias and painful sensory neuropathy. She subsequently developed bilateral numb chin syndrome. Because of refractory and disabling symptoms under high corticosteroids and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we decided to treat her with rituximab rather than immunosuppressants. This resulted in significant subjective improvement in sicca syndrome while arthalgias, distal and chin paresthesias resolved completely. To our knowledge this is the first description of such a case.
Sève
Pascal
P
Department of Internal Medicine, Hôtel-Dieu, 1 place de l'Hôpital, Lyon, France. pascal.seve@chu-lyon.fr
Gachon
Emilie
E
Petiot
Philippe
P
Stankovic
Katia
K
Charhon
Annick
A
Broussolle
Christiane
C
D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D000069283:Rituximab; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab