https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2013.90

Granulomatosis polyangiitis associated with meningeal involvement: response to rituximab therapy after failure of cyclophosphamide

Vol. 65 No. 2 (2013)
Submitted: 5 January 2013
Accepted: 9 May 2013
Published: 27 May 2013
Granulomatosis polyangiitis associated, Rituximab
Abstract Views: 2394
PDF: 839
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

M. Benucci
maurizio.benucci@asf.toscana.it
Rheumatology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
F. Li Gobbi
Rheumatology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
P. Panconesi
Radiology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
M. Manfredi
Immunology and Allergology Laboratory, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
P. Sarzi-Puttini
Rheumatology Unit, L. Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
F. Atzeni
Rheumatology Unit, L. Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Wegener’s granulomatosis or granulomatosis polyangiitis associated (GPA) is a granulomatous inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory tracts associated with necrotising vasculitis of small and medium-sized blood vessels and, frequently, necrotising glomerulonephritis. We describe the case of a 37 year old female patient presenting with upper respiratory tract involvement, chronic rhinosinusitis with green secretions, and bilateral hypoacusia. Ten months later, she suffered occipital headache and two episodes of lipothymia associated with nausea, photophobia, faintness with visual blurring. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed aseptic meningitis. The patient was treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide without any effect on the neurological symptoms which, however, greatly improved after subsequent treatment with rituximab as confirmed by means of cerebral MRI. Rituximab is an optimal means of treating cyclophosphamide-resistant patients with GPA associated with meningeal involvement.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
M. Benucci, Rheumatology Unit, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence
Internal Medicine

How to Cite

Benucci, M., Li Gobbi, F., Panconesi, P., Manfredi, M., Sarzi-Puttini, P., & Atzeni, F. (2013). Granulomatosis polyangiitis associated with meningeal involvement: response to rituximab therapy after failure of cyclophosphamide. Reumatismo, 65(2), 90–94. https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2013.90

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Similar Articles

1 2 3 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.