Problèmes rhumatologiques iatrogènes

Rheumatic disorders are common clinical manifestations of adverse drug reactions. They consist of a large variety of symptoms, including arthralgia, the only feature in many cases, mono and polyarthritis, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, tendinitis, connective tissue diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia and osteonecrosis, or myopathies. Early recognition of a drug-induced rheumatic disorder is of great importance. First, it permits avoiding further investigations. Second, drug withdrawal usually results in recovery or improvement of symptoms. Thus, a potential drug-induced disorder should be considered in all patients presenting with rheumatic symptoms. Besides drugs with well known rheumatologic side effects, for which preventive measures may exist, there are numerous drugs that have occasionally been involved in various rheumatic conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to read the Summary of Product Characteristics of all drugs taken by the patients and/or seek advice from specialists in pharmacovigilance.