Case Reports

Voriconazole-induced periostitis

Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: 11 November 2020
Published: 19 April 2021
4811
Views
1030
Downloads

Authors

Voriconazole is a fluorinated drug from the triazole group that is widely used in the prophylaxis and treatment of fungal infections in immunosuppressed patients. Chronic use of this medication can generate, as an adverse effect, a multifocal, asymmetric, diffuse and nodular periosteal reaction, associated with severe and disabling skeletal pain and elevated alkaline phosphatase and serum fluoride. Radiography is the imaging technique of choice for periostitis diagnosis. In general, clinical manifestations and radiographic findings disappear, when the drug is discontinued. We report the clinical case of a 44 year-old woman diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, who developed an invasive fungal infection treated with voriconazole after a stem cell transplant. Nine months after starting antifungal treatment, she manifested symptoms and radiological signs compatible with periostitis. Due to clinical suspicion, we decided to suspend voriconazole, with consequent resolution of clinical manifestations and radiological findings.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Levine MT, Chandrasekar PH. Adverse effects of voriconazole: Over a decade of use. Clin Transplant. 2016; 30: 1377-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ctr.12834

Gayan Belmonte MJ, Botía González CM, García Gerónimo A, et al. Voriconazole-induced periostitis: radiological clues for its diagnosis. J Clin Rheumatol. 2019; 25: E67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/RHU.0000000000000646

Skaug M, Spak C, Oza U. Painful periostitis in the setting of chronic voriconazole therapy. Baylor Univ Med Cent Proc. 2014; 27: 350-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2014.11929156

Benitez LL, Carver PL. Adverse effects associated with long-term administration of azole antifungal agents. Drugs [Internet]. 2019; 79: 833-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-019-01127-8

Adwan MH. Voriconazole-induced periostitis: a new rheumatic disorder. Clin Rheumatol [Internet]. 2017; 36: 609-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-016-3341-7

Rad B, Saleem M, Grant S, et al. Fluorosis and periostitis deformans as complications of prolonged voriconazole treatment. Ann Clin Biochem. 2015; 52: 611-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0004563214568873

. Geneva WHO. WHO (2010). Preventing disease through healthy environments inadequate or excess fluoride: a major public health concern [Internet]. [cited 2020 Nov 7]. Available from: https://www.who.int/ipcs/features/fluoride.pdf?ua=1

Tan I, Lomasney L, Stacy GS, et al. Spectrum of voriconazole-induced periostitis with review of the differential diagnosis. Am J Roentgenol. 2019; 212: 157-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2214/AJR.18.19991

Gerber B, Guggenberger R, Fasler D, et al. Reversible skeletal disease and high fluoride serum levels in hematologic patients receiving voriconazole. Blood. 2012; 120: 2390-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2012-01-403030

Moon WJ, Scheller EL, Suneja A, et al. Plasma fluoride level as a predictor of voriconazole-induced periostitis in patients with skeletal pain. Clin Infect Dis. 2014; 59: 1237-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciu513

Elmore S, Wisse A, Chapin RW, Whelan TP, Silver RM. Voriconazole-associated periostitis presenting as hypertrophic osteoarthropathy following lung transplantation report of two cases and review of the literature. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2019; 49: 319-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2019.04.003

Yap FY, Skalski MR, Patel DB, et al. Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy: clinical and imaging features. Radiographics. 2017; 37: 157-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.2017160052

How to Cite



1.
Voriconazole-induced periostitis. Reumatismo [Internet]. 2021 Apr. 19 [cited 2026 Aug. 30];73(1):44-7. Available from: https://www.reumatismo.org/reuma/article/view/1368