LIVER-BIOPSY FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS RECEIVING LONG-TERM, WEEKLY METHOTREXATE THERAPY

We performed percutaneous liver biopsy in nine children who had receiv ed a weekly dose of methotrexate, 10 mg/m(2) per week, for at least 3 years to address the concern about subclinical liver toxicity from sin gle, weekly, low-dose methotrexate therapy for juvenile rheumatoid art hritis, No patient had clinical or biochemical evidence of liver injur y. All biopsy results were interpreted as normal, These results sugges t that the recommendations of the American College of Rheumatology for adults receiving single weekly methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid ar thritis can be extended to children.