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Case report| Volume 22, P139-140, May 2018

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Pneumonitis secondary to alemtuzumab in a patient with multiple sclerosis – A non-infectious cause of breathlessness

      Highlights

      • Pneumonitis can occur following treatment with the monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab in a patient with multiple sclerosis.
      • In a patient presenting with breathlessness post alemtuzumab infusion a non-infectious cause needs to be considered.
      • Pneumonitis secondary to alemtuzumab can potentially be managed with oral steroids alone.

      Abstract

      The most common adverse events associated with the monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab are infusion associated reactions and secondary autoimmune disease. Respiratory complications are unusual following treatment with alemtuzumab, but can be precipitated by an infectious cause. We describe a case of a sub-acute steroid responsive non-infectious pneumonitis affecting a 51 year old woman, who presented one month after initiation of therapy for multiple sclerosis with alemtuzumab.

      Keywords

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