Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis as a complication of treatment with infliximab, anti-tumor necrosis factor α neutralizing antibody

Abstract

We report that a-63-year-old woman developed Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) as a complication from treatment with infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis. Although there was neither symptoms of dyspnea nor typical observations on a chest X-ray examination, low levels of oxygen saturation and findings of high-resolution chest computed tomographic scanning suggested a possibility of interstitial pneumonia. A polymerase chain reaction-based detection of Pneumocystis jiroveci in induced sputum allowed an early diagnosis of PCP and subsequent effective treatment.

Key words::

• Infliximab
• Pneumocystis jiroveci
• Polymerase chain reaction
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Tumor necrosis factor