Improvement in rheumatoid heart disease following infliximab in a patient with long standing rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

This report describes a 60-year-old woman with chronic active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with rheumatoid heart disease treated successfully with infliximab. The patient had a history of rheumatoid heart disease, presented with cardiac failure and also had active polyarthritis. Two-dimensional echocardiogram (2-DE) showed ejection fraction (EF) of 35%. Infliximab therapy at 3 mg/kg was given to the patient, at weeks 0, 2, and 6 and then 8-weekly There was complete remission of her joint symptoms and the EF improved to 55%. Patients with active arthritis and rheumatoid heart disease can benefit from infliximab. ©Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology.