Aseptic meningitis in a patient taking etanercept for rheumatoid arthritis: a case report
2008

Aseptic Meningitis in a Patient Taking Etanercept

publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Matthew J Booker, Julia Flint, Saravana Shanmugam

Primary Institution: Department of Rheumatology, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK

Hypothesis

Is aseptic meningitis a complication of etanercept therapy for rheumatoid arthritis?

Conclusion

Aseptic meningitis can occur as a rare complication of etanercept therapy, highlighting the risk of serious infections in patients on anti-TNF therapy.

Supporting Evidence

  • The patient had a history of rheumatoid arthritis and was treated with etanercept.
  • CSF analysis suggested bacterial meningitis, but cultures were negative.
  • This case is the first reported instance of aseptic meningitis associated with etanercept.

Takeaway

A woman taking a medicine for arthritis got very sick with a type of meningitis that doctors didn't expect. This shows that even common medicines can sometimes cause serious problems.

Methodology

Case report detailing the patient's symptoms, treatment, and outcomes.

Potential Biases

Potential bias in reporting as it is a single case study.

Limitations

This is a single case report, limiting generalizability.

Participant Demographics

53-year-old Caucasian female.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1757-1626-1-364

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