1). MTSS was diagnosed and she was recommended to take rest. Three weeks later, her pain aggravated and http://www.selleckchem.com/products/epacadostat-incb024360.html plain radiograph showed a transverse fracture line at the left distal tibia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed periosteal reaction, bone marrow edema and transverse fracture line (Fig. 2). Tibial fracture was diagnosed and she was treated with conservative management. There are two cases of MTSS reported in patients with RA and one case

with psoriatic arthritis.[4, 5] Because there was no history of overuse or strenuous exercise and pain resolved after stopping MTX, low-dose MTX was suspected to have induced the osteopathy.[4, 5] In another report, tibial stress fracture developed in a patient with psoriatic arthritis taking low-dose MTX.[6] Considering these reports about MTX-induced osteopathy in patients taking MTX for their inflammatory arthritis, it is likely that MTSS was caused by MTX in our case and continuation of MTX after the development of MTSS might have resulted in the tibial fracture. On the other hand, one review of published reports insisted that most patients taking low-dose MTX have no increased risk of osteopathy and proposed the possible role of idiopathic or hypersensitivity etiologies.[7] So far, there is no report that MTSS progresses to stress fracture. In our case, it would be better to consider the fracture as selleck chemical insufficiency

fracture rather than stress fracture, because there was no high-level stress and bones were already weakened by RA inflammation and glucocorticoid treatment. However, stress fracture and insufficiency fracture have been used interchangeably in

RA.[6, 8-10] Stress fracture and insufficiency fracture are main causes of fractures Pregnenolone in RA.[8, 9] In one study regarding insufficiency fracture of the tibia, RA was the most common underlying disease.[10] In another study of stress fracture in RA, the tibia was affected the most among the long bones.[8] Steroid usage, particularly at higher doses, seemed to increase the risk of stress fracture, but low bone mineral density and MTX did not.[8, 9] Because plain radiograph is often normal in MTSS as well as in the early stage of stress and insufficiency fractures,[8] it would not be easy to differentiate MTSS from insufficiency fracture right after pain commencement. Although we think MTSS progressed to tibial fracture in our case based on the remarkable interval changes in plain radiographs, there is a possibility that insufficiency fracture might have been already present at the time of presentation. Our case implies that, although debatable, MTSS and fracture can occur in patients with RA taking MTX and rheumatologists should beware of the osteopathic potential of MTX. In addition, MTSS can progress to tibial fracture in RA patients whose bones are already weakened by inflammation and medication.