Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Vol 150, No. 1, Jul 1994, 258-260.
Opportunistic infection during treatment with low dose methotrexate
GP LeMense and SA Sahn
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
Two patients receiving low dose methotrexate, one with rheumatoid arthritis
and the other with pityriasis rubra pilaris, developed disseminated
histoplasmosis and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare pneumonia,
respectively. Twenty-three cases of opportunistic infection in patients
receiving low dose methotrexate have been reported previously, with
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia being the most common infection (10 of 23,
43%). Patients receiving low dose methotrexate are at risk for
opportunistic infection despite normal leukocyte counts.