Excerpt
To the Editor:
Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) blocking agents are widely used for treatment of various rheumatic diseases. Neurologic complications such as demyelination and axonal degeneration have been rarely reported in patients undergoing this therapy1,2, and neuromuscular changes only once — a case of polymyositis (PM)3.
We have accumulated experience with anti-TNF agents in our hospital; we describe 3 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases who developed clinically relevant neuromuscular involvement while being treated with TNF-α blockers (Table 1).
Case 1. A 40-year-old man with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) had improved on therapy with adalimumab 40 mg biweekly when he felt pain…