Interstitial lung disease occurring shortly after tocilizumab infusion in a patient with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a case report

Background Tocilizumab has been shown to be effective for treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of interstitial lung disease occurring shortly after tocilizumab infusion in a patient with JIA. Case presentation A 14-year-old female patient with polyarticular JIA developed interstitial lung disease after intravenous and subcutaneous administration of tocilizumab. Her condition improved with glucocorticoid therapy. Conclusion Our results suggest that increased interleukin-6 levels in the blood following tocilizumab treatment may be linked to development of interstitial lung disease. Keywords: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Drug-induced interstitial lung disease, Tocilizumab, Interleukin-6