A rare complication of imatinib mesylate therapy: drug-induced pneumonitis

Abstract

The use of imatinib mesylate (Glivec®) (Novartis Pharma AG, Switzerland) that is the drug of choice in treating patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has increased 7-year survival and improved the prognosis of the disease. The drug is generally tolerated well; the proportion of patients in whom imatinib treatment results in the development of toxic complications is small. Drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis associated with imatinib therapy is a rare complication that requires timely differential diagnosis, discontinuation of an inductor (imatinib), and altered further treatment policy.

Keywords

• chronic myeloid leukemia
• drug-induced pneumonitis
• interstitial pneumonia
• imatinib mesylate