Aung Thanda, Celestin Mia
Rheumatology, University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Cureus. 2025 Apr 17;17(4):e82467. doi: 10.7759/cureus.82467. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are widely used biologics in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but they can occasionally induce paradoxical inflammatory manifestations. We present a case of a 28-year-old female patient with well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis who developed leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) secondary to infliximab therapy. Despite initial treatment with alternative biologics and corticosteroids, her condition required escalation to rituximab therapy. Histopathological examination confirmed leukocytoclastic vasculitis involving vessels in the deep dermis. After 10 months of rituximab treatment, the patient experienced complete resolution of the vasculitis. This case highlights the importance of recognizing rare but significant cutaneous adverse effects of TNF inhibitors and illustrates the challenges in management when conventional therapy proves ineffective. Clinicians should maintain vigilance for paradoxical inflammatory responses when treating patients with biologic agents and consider appropriate therapeutic alternatives when such complications arise.
肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)抑制剂是类风湿关节炎(RA)治疗中广泛使用的生物制剂,但它们偶尔会引发矛盾性炎症表现。我们报告一例28岁女性患者,其类风湿关节炎病情控制良好,因英夫利昔单抗治疗继发白细胞破碎性血管炎(LCV)。尽管最初使用了替代生物制剂和皮质类固醇进行治疗,但其病情仍需升级为利妥昔单抗治疗。组织病理学检查证实白细胞破碎性血管炎累及真皮深层血管。利妥昔单抗治疗10个月后,患者血管炎完全消退。该病例突出了认识TNF抑制剂罕见但严重的皮肤不良反应的重要性,并说明了传统治疗无效时管理方面的挑战。临床医生在使用生物制剂治疗患者时应警惕矛盾性炎症反应,并在出现此类并发症时考虑适当的治疗替代方案。