Low dose methotrexate has been used successfully to treat patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis.1 Methotrexate-induced pneumonitis occurs in about 1 to 5% of patients, although opportunistic infections have also been reported.1 We report a case of fatal pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in an otherwise healthy female patient treated with methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis and review the literature.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia complicating low dose methotrexate treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.