Treatment with Rituximab in the Acute Phase of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

There have been a few reports on the administration of rituximab for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in the acute phase. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with an acute lesion of RRMS. Although corticosteroid therapy and plasmapheresis were not effective, the lesion improved with the administration of rituximab. We believe that the B cells were promptly depleted after the infusion of rituximab, and that the inflammatory reactions related to the B cells were suppressed. We suggest that the administration of rituximab can be considered as a treatment option for acute-phase RRMS when conventional therapies are not effective.