Methotrexate-associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder: A Rare Differential Diagnosis of Wheezes

Abstract

A 70-year-old woman was admitted for the evaluation of wheezes and a nodular lesion in the left lung field. She had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 45 years of age and was continuously treated with methotrexate (MTX) at 8 mg/week. Bronchoscopic aspiration histology of a hilar lymph node suggested a lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD). After discontinuation of MTX, the lung nodule and wheezes disappeared. Although wheezes are not a usual manifestation of LPD, her clinical course clearly demonstrated an obvious relationship between LPD-induced airway narrowing and wheezes.