Anaphylactoid reactions to methotrexate

✍ Scribed by Stephan A. Alkins; John C. Byrd; Susan K. Morgan; Frank T. Ward; Raymond B. Weiss

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 361 KB
• Volume: 77
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19960515)77:10<2123::aid-cncr24>3.0.co;2-w

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

Methotrexate is a chemotherapeutic agent frequently utilized for the treatment of malignant, rheumatic, and pulmonary diseases. Although this agent has been extensively used for more than 45 years, there are few reports of immediate systemic hypersensitivity reactions. The reported immediate reactions include anaphylaxis, urticaria, and hepatitis. However, these reactions have been reported to occur only after some prior exposure to methotrexate. No immediate hypersensitivity reactions to methotrexate have been reported during the initial exposure. We describe two patients who developed immediate systemic hypersensitivity reactions during the initial administration of methotrexate. METHODS. The clinical outcomes of two patients treated by the Hematology/Oncology department at a tertiary care military medical center are described. The National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, was electronically searched for the literature review.