Rheumatoid granulomatous disease and pachymeningitis successfully treated with rituximab

Abstract

Granulomatous disease and pachymeningitis rarely occur in rheumatoid arthritis patients and confer a challenging differential diagnosis. Our patient, treated with a tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor, presented with meningitis and diffuse granulomatous adenopathies. Opportunistic infections and malignancy were excluded after confirmation of negative broath serologic, molecular analysis, and negative cytology. Because of the time frame and the clinical presentation, this case was considered as a rare systemic manifestation of RA. He was treated with rituximab with beneficial clinical evolution. This case offers an excellent opportunity to focus on the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in pachymeningitis and granulomatous disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Keywords: Rheumatoid artritis; granulomatous disease; pachymeningitis; rituximab.