Voriconazole-induced periostitis causing arthralgias mimicking a flare of granulomatosis with polyangiitis.J Clin Rheumatol. 2013;19:444-445. [PMID: 24263147 DOI: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000000045]

Spectrum of voriconazole-associated periostitis in clinical characteristics, diagnosis and management

PURPOSE

Previous knowledge about the relationship between voriconazole exposure and periostitis was mainly based on limited case reports and few retrospective studies. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and management of voriconazole-associated periostitis.

METHODS

Case reports and case series from 1998 to November 30, 2021 on periostitis induced by voriconazole were collected for retrospective analysis.

RESULTS

Forty four patients (18 male and 26 female) from 34 studies were included in total. The median age was 58 years (29-74). The majority of patients had undergone organ transplantation (50.0%) or suffered from hematologic malignancy (31.81%). The median onset time of symptoms was 6 months after the start of voriconazole. The most common initial symptom was diffuse skeletal pain (68.28%) which can be severe and even disabling (66.7%). Ribs (37.21%), femurs (32.56%), scapulae (25.58%), humerus (23.26%), and clavicle (23.26%) were the common involved locations. Most cases were accompanied by different degrees of elevated serum alkaline phosphatase and fluoride level, while some presented with elevated bone-specific alkaline phosphatase. The main radiological features included periosteal reaction and multifocal high radiotracer uptake on bone scintigraphy. The formation of new bone was characterized with bilateral, irregular, nodular, as well as high density. The resolution of symptoms was observed with discontinuation of voriconazole in all patients, of whom 18 patients (52.94%) were relieved within a week. Itraconazole, posaconazole or isavuconazole were safe alternatives to voriconazole in voriconazole-induced periostitis.

CONCLUSION

Voriconazole-induced periostitis is an infrequent complication characterized by bone inflammation involving one or multiple skeletal areas. Bony pain, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase as well as fluoride level are suspicious signs during voriconazole treatment.

Voriconazole-associated periostitis: Pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management

Voriconazole use has been associated with osteoarticular pain and periostitis, likely due to high fluoride content in the drug formulation. This phenomenon has been described primarily with high dosage or prolonged course of voriconazole therapy in immunocompromised and transplant patient populations. Patients typically present with diffuse bony pains associated with elevated serum alkaline phosphatase and plasma fluoride levels in conjunction with radiographic findings suggestive of periostitis. We provide a comprehensive review of the literature to highlight salient characteristics commonly associated with voriconazole-induced periostitis.

Voriconazole-induced periostitis deformans: serial imaging in a patient with ANCA vasculitis

OBJECTIVES

A 61-year-old with acute granulomatosis and polyangiitis developed Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia after admission to the intensive care unit with a small bowel perforation. This occurred after immunosuppression (intravenous methylprednisolone, intravenous cyclophosphamide, and plasmapheresis) for his initial presentation with stage 3 acute kidney injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The mycologist recommended long-term treatment with voriconazole after initial recovery.

RESULTS

After 7 months of treatment, the patient complained of joint pain and swelling in his hands. Radiographs, computed tomography, and single-photon emission computed tomography appearances were consistent with periostitis. A diagnosis of Voriconazole-induced periostitis deformans was made and the voriconazole was stopped. Plasma fluoride level was 278 μg/L (normal range < 50 μg/L). Discontinuation of voriconazole led to clinical improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Periostitis deformans due to fluorosis is a rare complication of voriconazole treatment. The imaging in our case is unusually dramatic. We were able to track the evolution of periosteal reactions over serial imaging.

Voriconazole-Induced Periostitis & Enthesopathy in Solid Organ Transplant Patients: Case Reports

Background

Voriconazole is frequently used to treat fungal infections in solid organ transplant patients. Recently, there have been reports suggesting that prolonged voriconazole therapy may lead to periostitis.

Aim

Here we present two cases of voriconazole-induced periostitis in solid organ transplant patients.

Case Presentation

Voriconazole was given to two transplant patients-one with a liver transplant and the second with a heart transplant, to treat their fungal infections. Both developed voriconazole-induced toxicity. While undergoing voriconazole therapy, they had incapacitating bone pain. The liver transplant patient had to be taken off voriconazole, and the heart transplant patient succumbed to non-voriconazole related causes.

Conclusions

Voriconazole therapy in two solid organ transplant patients resulted in periostitis. We provide potential etiologies underlying voriconazole-induced periostitis, including fluoride toxicity, abnormalities in the pulmonary vascular bed leading to the production of downstream inflammatory mediators, and abnormal pharmacokinetics of hepatic drug metabolism. In addition to monitoring blood voriconazole trough levels, we suggest careful assessment for musculoskeletal pain in patients undergoing voriconazole treatment for two months or more, particularly if their daily dosages of voriconazole exceed 500 mg per day. Appropriate workup should include measurement of alkaline phosphatase, voriconazole trough and fluoride levels as well as a bone scan. Overall, early recognition of voriconazole-induced musculoskeletal toxicity is important for better morbidity outcomes.

Voriconazole-induced periostitis: beyond post-transplant patients

Voriconazole-induced periostitis (VIP) is a rare but increasingly encountered entity since Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the second generation antifungal medication in 2002. Literature reports most commonly include transplant recipients on immunosuppressive therapy simultaneously requiring antifungal therapy. Nontransplant patients receiving long-term voriconazole have an equal risk of developing the disease, but may experience a delay in diagnosis due to a lack of familiarity with the process outside of the post-transplant and/or immunosuppressed population. We present a case of VIP in a nontransplant, immunocompetent patient on suppressive antifungal therapy for prior abdominal aortic stent graft fungal infection. Radiologist review of current medications and recognition of periostitis on multiple imaging modalities may hasten the diagnosis and lead to earlier treatment and resolution of symptoms.

Voriconazole-associated soft tissue ossification: an undescribed cause of glenohumeral joint capsulitis

Voriconazole-related periostitis has been increasingly described in the literature over the last several years as a recognizable disease entity, especially in lung transplant patients. This relationship should be considered when approaching immunosuppressed patients presenting with diffuse bone pain and imaging findings of periostitis. We present a case of voriconazole-associated periostitis, capsular and enthesial ossification and glenuhumeral capsulitis in a patient with a hematologic malignancy. To the authors' knowledge, soft tissue ossification associated with voriconazole has not been described in the radiology literature.

Plasma fluoride level as a predictor of voriconazole-induced periostitis in patients with skeletal pain

BACKGROUND

Voriconazole is a triazole antifungal medication used for prophylaxis or to treat invasive fungal infections. Inflammation of the periosteum resulting in skeletal pain, known as periostitis, is a reported side effect of long-term voriconazole therapy. The trifluorinated molecular structure of voriconazole suggests a possible link between excess fluoride and periostitis, as elevated blood fluoride has been reported among patients with periostitis who received voriconazole.

METHODS

Two hundred sixty-four patients from Michigan were impacted by the multistate outbreak of fungal infections as a result of contaminated methylprednisolone injections. A retrospective study was conducted among 195 patients who received voriconazole therapy at St Joseph Mercy Hospital during this outbreak. Twenty-eight patients who received both bone scan and plasma fluoride measurements for skeletal pain were included in the statistical analyses. Increased tracer uptake on bone scan was considered positive for periostitis. The primary outcome measure was the correlation between plasma fluoride and bone scan results.

RESULTS

Blood fluoride (P < .001), alkaline phosphatase (P = .020), daily voriconazole dose (P < .001), and cumulative voriconazole dose (P = .027) were significantly elevated in patients who had periostitis compared with those who did not. Discontinuation or dose reduction of voriconazole resulted in improvement of pain in 89% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

High plasma fluoride levels coupled with skeletal pain among patients who are on long-term voriconazole therapy is highly suggestive of periostitis. Initial measurement of fluoride may be considered when bone scan is not readily available. Early detection should be sought, as discontinuation of voriconazole is effective at reversing the disease.

Voriconazole-induced periostitis in a patient with overlap syndromes

A 52-year-old woman with overlap syndrome and interstitial pneumonia underwent immunosuppressive therapy and she was suspected to suffer from pulmonary aspergillosis. Oral voriconazole was initiated, and a rapid elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) occurred after 4 weeks. After 2 months, the patient presented diffuse pain in bilateral skeletal regions, and bone scintigraphy revealed bilateral multiple areas of increased radiotracer uptake. We suspected the skeletal involvement as voriconazole-induced periostitis. Actually, the plasma fluoride level was increased. Voriconazole was replaced with itraconazole, and after 3 weeks, the patient stopped complaining of bone pain concomitant with the decrease in ALP. Voriconazole-induced periostitis is a rare condition but had previously been reported in solid organ or patients with bone marrow transplant who received a long-term voriconazole therapy. Our present case is distinctive of previous ones, because it occurred in a patient with connective tissue disease which had its rapid progression.