ATYPICAL PNEUMONITIS AND CHRONIC ULCERATI VE-COLITIS - ROLE OF METHOTREXATE

The authors report the case of a 46-year-old man with refractory ulcer ative colitis treated with methotrexate who was admitted in the hospit al for asthenia, fever, cough and dyspnea. Owing to the development of adult respiratory distress syndrome despite broad spectrum antibiothe rapy, the patient was transfered to the intensive care unit. A diagnos is of pneumonitis due to methotrexate was made. Patient's condition im proved after discontinuation of the drug, mechanical ventilation, and corticosteroids. The increasing use of methotrexate in several gastroe nterological diseases warrants further consideration of the potential devasting side effects of this drug, particularly on the lungs. A revi ew of the literature on this topic is provided in the ''discussion'' s ection.