Stiff-person syndrome treated with rituximab

BMJ Case Rep. 2010 Dec 13:2010:bcr0520103021. doi: 10.1136/bcr.05.2010.3021.

Abstract

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological condition consisting of progressive and fluctuating rigidity of the axial muscles combined with painful spasms. The pathophysiology of SPS is not fully understood, but there seems to be an autoimmune component. The use of rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting CD20 protein in the surface of mature B cells, for the treatment of SPS is a recent therapeutical approach showing promising results. The authors present a case report of a 41-year-old female patient diagnosed with SPS who was treated with rituximab in a public hospital in Brasília, Brazil, showing a good and safe response to the treatment so far. Our data go along with some recent articles published in the literature.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Rituximab
  • Stiff-Person Syndrome / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Rituximab