A case of bilateral rheumatoid pleuritis successfully treated with tocilizumab

Abstract

The patient was a 77-year-old woman diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1973. She was initiated on infliximab therapy in addition to methotrexate administration in 2009. The therapeutic response decreased after the fifth dose of infliximab, and the patient developed rheumatoid pleuritis due to increased RA disease activity. The therapy was switched from infliximab to tocilizumab, which resulted in amelioration of the arthralgias well as pleuritis. Our results suggest that tocilizumab is an effective treatment alternative for the treatment of rheumatoid pleuritis.

Keywords:

• Bilateral pleural effusion
• Extra-articular manifestations
• Rheumatoid pleuritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Tocilizumab

Conflict of interest

None.