A case report of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis complicated with Mycobacterium avium during tocilizumab treatment

A female patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suffered from Mycobacterium avium ( M. avium ) infection during tocilizumab treatment. Tocilizumab was discontinued and she was treated with a recommended chemotherapy, resulting in improvement of M. avium . Tocilizumab retreatment did not aggravate M. avium infection, and radiographic abnormalities improved over 1 year after cessation of the recommended therapy. Tocilizumab may be one candidate for intractable RA patients with M. avium if any biologic is required.