A Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis under Methotrexate and Etanercept Treatment Presenting with Fever and Pancytopenia: An Unexpected Guest

Abstract

Leishmania species induce chronic intracellular parasitism, while visceral leishmaniasis can become fatal, if left untreated. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis might feature a genetic predisposition to infection from Leishmania species, besides the status of immunosuppression. Several cases of visceral leishmaniasis in patients with underlying rheumatoid arthritis manifesting with cytopenias with or without organomegaly have been published so far; however, only three cases presenting with pancytopenia without splenomegaly have been described. Herein we describe a case of a 63-year-old woman presenting with fever and pancytopenia without organomegaly on a background of rheumatoid arthritis under methotrexate and etanercept treatment, finally diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis.