Acute methotrexate toxicity in a patient with psoriasis: a case report.

ABSTRACT

Aside from rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate is also used to treat cancer, psoriasis, and other diseases. Side effects with methotrexate are possible, as they are with any medication. This drug is extremely potent and has the potential to produce serious adverse effects. Those who use this medication need to be tracked often. We provide a case of a patient with psoriasis vulgaris who died due to methotrexate administration without proper dosage verification. A female patient in her forties had a history of psoriasis vulgaris of the lower limbs. Under treatment, she developed acute methotrexate toxicity. This drug was taken as an intramuscular injection per day in an infirmary without checking that the dose regimen prescribed was per week. She developed extensive bullous and pustular lesions associated with digestive signs related to generalized toxiderma. But at that point, she had septic shock, which led to her death a few weeks after the methotrexate injection. The medical responsibilities of the doctor, pharmacist, and nurse were discussed. To conclude, methotrexate is not a killer drug in most cases, but it can be extremely harmful if it's overused. Acute toxicity is a potentially fatal condition, and a deeper understanding of its potential toxicity is still necessary.