Parapharyngeal abscess in a patient receiving etanercept

• Published in: The Annals of pharmacotherapy Vol. 41; no. 2; p. 341
• Main Authors: Borrás-Blasco, Joaquín, Nuñez-Cornejo, Claudia, Gracia-Perez, Antonio, Rosique-Robles, J Dolores, Casterá, M D Elvira, Viosca, Enrique, Abad, F Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Abscess - drug therapy; Abscess - etiology; Abscess - microbiology; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - adverse effects; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Etanercept; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - administration & dosage; Immunoglobulin G - adverse effects; Immunoglobulin G - therapeutic use; Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage; Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Pharyngeal Diseases - drug therapy; Pharyngeal Diseases - etiology; Pharyngeal Diseases - microbiology; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor - administration & dosage; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor - therapeutic use; Streptococcal Infections - drug therapy; Streptococcal Infections - etiology; Streptococcal Infections - microbiology; Treatment Outcome; Viridans Streptococci - drug effects; Viridans Streptococci - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1542-6270
• DOI: 10.1345/aph.1H407

To report a case of parapharyngeal abscess associated with Streptococcus viridans in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment with etanercept. A 40-year-old man diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis had received treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, methotrexate, and deflazacort. Six months prior to admission, the patient had a Disease Activity Score of 3.4; clinicians decided to start treatment with etanercept. Chest X-rays were normal and the tuberculin skin test was negative. Treatment with etanercept plus methotrexate was started. Three months later, methotrexate was discontinued. Six months after etanercept therapy was started, the patient presented to our emergency department with a swelling of his neck, odynophagia, otalgia, and trismus. The clinical course was consistent with parapharyngeal abscess. Etanercept treatment was suspended. The parapharyngeal abscess was drained and intravenous methylprednisolone, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and clindamycin were administered. The parapharyngeal abscess secretion culture was positive for S. viridans and Bacteroides spp. The patient's condition improved with antibiotic therapy; he was discharged 5 days after admission. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha plays an essential role in the immune-mediated response to infection. In our patient, the most possible cause of parapharyngeal abscess was considered to be etanercept because of the temporal relationship between exposure to the drug and onset of symptoms. Etanercept was the only drug administered before the abscess developed. Based on the Naranjo probability scale, an association between etanercept and the adverse reaction could be considered possible. Patients initiated on etanercept therapy should be closely monitored for the development of tuberculosis and other infections. During treatment, all febrile or novel illnesses should be evaluated promptly. If clinical evaluation leads to the suspicion of tuberculosis and other infections associated with etanercept, it should be discontinued immediately.