Severe cardiomyopathy following treatment with the tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor adalimumab for Crohn's disease

Abstract

Adalimumab belongs to the group of tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors and has been approved for the treatment Crohn's Disease since 2007. Herein we report a severe adverse reaction to adalimumab in a 25-year-old female patient. One week after the initial-dose of adalimumab (160 mg), which was initiated due to an acute exacerbation of Crohn's disease, the patient developed a fulminant cardiomyopathy. In severe cardiogenic shock, the patient required an extracorporeal membrane-oxygenation system for 8 days until cardiac recovery.