CASE REPORTS - Arava-induced peripheral neuopathy

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J Clin Neurosci. 2007 Feb;14(2):179-81.

Leflunomide-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Kho LK, Kermode AG.

Department of Neurology, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia.

Two cases of leflunomide-induced peripheral neuropathy are described;

in a 60-year-old woman with sero-negative polyarthralgia-myalgia

syndrome and a 65-year-old man with sero-negative rheumatoid

arthritis, both treated with leflunomide at 20mg/day. Nerve conduction

studies and electromyogram showed sensorimotor axonal neuropathy in

both cases. An alternative cause for the axonal neuropathy was

excluded by extensive investigations, including cerebrospinal fluid

examination and nerve biopsy in the second patient. Both patients

stabilized symptomatically and electrophysiologically upon cessation

of leflunomide. It is possible that leflunomide-induced peripheral

neuropathy has been under-reported and under-recognized.

PMID: 17107800

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17107800

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