Favorable outcomes with tacrolimus in two patients with refractory interstitial lung disease associated with polymyositis/dermatomyositis

S. Ochi, T. Nanki, K. Takada, F. Suzuki, Y. Komano, T. Kubota¹, N. Miyasaka

Department of Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School, ¹Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.

ABSTRACT
Two cases of progressive interstitial lung disease associated with polymyositis/dermatomyositis are presented. Both patients were refractory to conventional therapy with high-dose corticosteroids, cyclosporine, and intermittent pulse cyclophosphamide, and thus a therapeutic trial of tacrolimus was instituted. Tacrolimus was markedly effective in achieving subjective, laboratory and radiographic improvement in both patients.

Key words
Polymyositis, dermatomyositis, interstitial lung disease, tacrolimus.

Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Nobuyuki Miyasaka, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519 Japan.
E-mail: miya.rheu@tmd.ac.jp

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2005; 23: 707-710.
© CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2005.