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Kalinowska-Lyszczarz, Alicja

Mayo Clinic

Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA/Department of Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.

Citations 1

Pathological findings in central nervous system demyelination associated with infliximab
Kalinowska, Alicja , Fereidan-Esfahani, Mahboobeh , Guo, Yong , Lucchinetti, Claudia F. , Tobin, W. Oliver , Kalinowska-Lyszczarz, Alicja, Tobin, W Oliver , Kalinowska-Lyszczarz, Alicja , Guo, Yong

Multiple Sclerosis Journal | December 17, 2019 | Volume: 26 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 1124-1129

10.1177/1352458519894710 Get It

Background: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors, such as infliximab, are commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other immune-mediated disorders. Objective: To determine whether infliximab-associated central nervous system (CNS) demyelination can be differentiated from multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We present a case of pathologically proven CNS demyelination in a patient treated with infliximab and describe clinical–radiographic–neuropathological findings. Putative mechanisms of TNF-alpha inhibitor-associated CNS demyelination are described. Results and conclusion: Infliximab treatment is associated with CNS inflammatory demyelinating activity, which is histopathologically indistinguishable from MS.