This is the first case series reporting new onset tendonitis in patients with connective tissue diseases after rituximab therapy. All 3 cases developed tendonitis 1 week after receiving the second dose of rituximab. Clinical features of tendonitis resolved 3-4 months in all cases. The underlying pathogenic mechanism by which rituximab causes tendonitis is not clear, but tendonitis and tendon rupture have been reported after using other medications such as quinolones. The tendon damage was progressive leading to tendon rupture in 1 patient, highlighting the importance of early recognition. It is plausible that there is a cause-effect relation between tendonitis and administration of rituximab in our 3 cases, since none of these cases had previous history of tendonitis; however, more data are needed to confirm this observation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.