A case of rheumatoid arthritis complicated with myelodysplastic syndrome

Abstract

Many cases of the myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) were reported after the presentation of the criteria for MDS in 1982, but, as far as we know, there were only four MDS case reports complicated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
We report a 75-year-old woman who had troubled with the disease of classical RA for 20 years, and suddenly vomited blood without other symptoms. The examination of bone marrow showed refractory anemia without the abnormal findings of gastrointestinal system and virus titer.
The relationship between the immunological abnormality of RA and the pathogenesis of MDS was discussed.