ABSTRACT
We performed percutaneous liver biopsy in nine children who had received a weekly dose of methotrexate, 10 mg/m2 per week, for at least 3 years to address the concern about subclinical liver toxicity from single, weekly, low-dose methotrexate therapy for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. No patient had clinical or biochemical evidence of liver injury. All biopsy results were interpreted as normal. These results suggest that the recommendations of the American College of Rheumatology for adults receiving single weekly methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis can be extended to children.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Juvenile/drug therapy , Liver/drug effects , Methotrexate/adverse effects , Adolescent , Biopsy, Needle , Child , Female , Humans , Liver/pathology , Methotrexate/administration & dosage , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Three patients with nonpulmonary sarcoidosis had chronic erythema nodosum within the first 2 years of life. Each subsequently had renal sarcoidosis and nephrocalcinosis; hypercalcemia was documented in each patient and hypercalciuria in two patients. Treatment with prednisone was not uniformly successful in normalizing creatinine clearance. Nephrocalcinosis may be more common than previously reported in patients with sarcoidosis.