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Flare-up of hand osteoarthritis caused by zoledronic acid infusion

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Abstract

Zoledronic acid is effective for osteoporosis at a single annual intravenous dose. It usually causes few adverse effects; the most common are related to acute phase reactions. We reported the case of a 64-year-old woman who presented flare-up of hand osteoarthritis after zoledronic acid infusions. Despite the fact that arthralgia is a common side effect of intravenous bisphosphonates, development of inflammatory signs in osteoarthritic joints is a rare event. We hypothesized that this side effect is caused by a release of cytokines secondary to activation of gamma-delta T lymphocytes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Unit, Hospital Governador Celso Ramos, Florianópolis, Brazil

    G. R. Werner de Castro, F. S. Neves & A. F. Zimmermann

  2. Rheumatology Unit, Universitary Hospital, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    G. R. Werner de Castro, F. S. Neves, S. C. de Magalhães Souza Fialho, I. A. Pereira, G. Ribeiro & A. F. Zimmermann

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  1. G. R. Werner de Castro
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  2. F. S. Neves
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  3. S. C. de Magalhães Souza Fialho
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  4. I. A. Pereira
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  5. G. Ribeiro
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  6. A. F. Zimmermann
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Correspondence to G. R. Werner de Castro.

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Werner de Castro, G.R., Neves, F.S., de Magalhães Souza Fialho, S.C. et al. Flare-up of hand osteoarthritis caused by zoledronic acid infusion. Osteoporos Int 21, 1617–1619 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-009-1123-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-009-1123-7

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