Leflunomide-induced interstitial lung disease (a systematic review).

Conclusions: Leflunomide can cause ILD. Most of these patients present within three months of starting leflunomide with acute symptoms for a week or less. Bilateral ground glass opacities and diffuse alveolar damage are the most common radiologic and histopathologic findings, respectively. Patients with pre-existing ILD are particularly at risk for this complication, and leflunomide should be avoided in this population. Activated charcoal and cholestyramine significantly decrease the half-life of the drug because of its enterohepatic circulation and should be considered in cases with acute toxicity. PMID: 24284289 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Sarcoidosis Vasculitis and Diffuse Lung Diseases - Category: Respiratory Medicine Tags: Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis Source Type: research