RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Vasculitis is an uncommon complication of biologics used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study describes a case series of vasculitis induced by anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in IBD patients. METHODS: Retrospective assessments were performed using the medical records of adult IBD patients who underwent outpatient clinical follow-ups between January 2010 and December 2019 in order to identify patients with vasculitis caused by anti-TNF therapy. RESULTS: There were 2442 patients altogether. Of these, 862 (35%) took anti-TNF medication. Five patients (0.6% of the overall patients; n = 3 (60%) Crohn's disease; n = 2 (40%), ulcerative colitis) were identified as having leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) due to anti-TNF therapy; these patients were white, female, and non-smokers. The mean age of LCV diagnosis was 32.2 years, and the mean IBD duration was 7.2 years. The mean time between the start of biologic therapy and LCV onset was 30.8 months. Most of the patients were using adalimumab (80%; n = 4). All the patients were in remission at the time of the LCV diagnosis, and the vasculitis affected the skin in all cases. Anti-TNF therapy was discontinued in the five abovementioned patients, and the response of LCV to the oral steroids was significantly positive. Remarkably, all five patients experienced complete remission from LCV within 4-12 weeks after starting prednisone therapy, and none of them had LCV recurrence in the follow-up period (a mean duration of 28 months). CONCLUSIONS: LCV is an unusual complication of anti-TNF therapy in the IBD setting. In this context, clinicians should have a high degree of suspicion of LCV in patients who develop an unexplained cutaneous rash.
RESUMO
A esclerodermia (esclerose sistêmica progressiva-ESP) é um estado inflamatório crônico do tecido conjuntivo, de etiologia desconhecida e caracterizada por alteraçöes vasculares em nível de vasos de médio e pequeno calibre. Paralelamente, verifica-se uma diminuiçäo da elasticidade da pele e de outrros tecidos, resultante de uma fibrose que acomete progressivamente todos os órgäos, aparelhos e sistemas. A síndrome de Sjögren (SS) é uma exocrinopatia auto-imune inflamatória que acomete principalmente glândulas salivares e exócrinas, podendo apresentar-se associadas a outras colagenoses como o ESP. Conquanto, a incidência de SS na forma CREST de esclerodermia (calcinose, Raynaud, desmotilidade esofagiana, esclerodactilia,telangiectasia) näo foi até o momento estimada com precisäo. O presente relato descreve o caso de um extenso acometimento pulmonar secundário a sobreposiçäo de SS à esclerodermia CREST. A paciente desenvolveu uma fibrose pulmonar intensa, sobretudo em bases, traduzindo-se clinicamente por franca dispnéia. O interesse do relato dete caso resulta tanto da forma de apresentaçäo das colagenoses como do acometimento pulmonar demonstrado; destacando as características clínicas, achados laboratoriais e aspectos propedêuticos da doença e despertando a atençäo ao valor do diagnóstico preciso e à conduta terapêutica mais apropriada como fatores decisivos à boa evoluçäo do caso.(au)