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

Associations of cumulative voriconazole dose, treatment duration, and alkaline phosphatase with voriconazole-induced periostitis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the associations of cumulative voriconazole dose, treatment duration, and alkaline phosphatase with voriconazole-induced periostitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and thirty-one patients with voriconazole use were identified using a clinical informatics tool. Health record data including age, sex, immune status, alkaline phosphatase, voriconazole levels, voriconazole dose, frequency, and treatment duration were collected. Imaging studies during the duration of treatment were reviewed by two radiology trainees and imaging features of voriconazole-induced periostitis were confirmed by a board-certified musculoskeletal radiologist. The length, location in the body, location in the bone, type, and morphology of periostitis lesions were recorded. Incident voriconazole-induced periostitis was defined as new periostitis on imaging after 28 days or more of voriconazole treatment in the absence of an alternative diagnosis. Univariate Firth's logistic regression models were performed using cumulative voriconazole dose, treatment duration, and average ALP as predictors and incident VIP as the outcome.

RESULTS

There were nine patients with voriconazole-induced periostitis and 122 patients without voriconazole-induced periostitis. The most common lesion location in the body was the ribs (37%) and morphology was solid (44%). A 31.5-g increase in cumulative voriconazole dose was associated with 8% higher odds of incident periostitis. Increased treatment duration (63 days) and higher average alkaline phosphatase (50 IU/L) were associated with 7% higher odds of periostitis and 34% higher odds of periostitis, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Increased cumulative voriconazole dose, treatment duration, and average alkaline phosphatase were associated with higher odds of voriconazole-induced periostitis.

Voriconazole-induced arthritis, enthesitis and periostitis

Voriconazole is a fluoride-containing anti-fungal. Prolonged exposure can result in fluoride deposition within the bone extracellular matrix, resulting in periostitis and arthritis. We report a patient who developed widespread bony pain and polyarthralgia while on voriconazole therapy for COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis. No associated autoimmune rheumatic disease or alternative cause was noted. Blood investigations showed elevated total serum alkaline phosphatase, bone-specific ALP and fluoride levels, with normal serum voriconazole levels. A whole body nuclear bone scan showed multifocal periostitis. A diagnosis of voriconazole-induced periostitis and arthritis was made. Complete resolution of clinical symptoms with normalisation of the serum ALP occurred within four weeks of voriconazole cessation. While voriconazole-induced periostitis/arthritis is a recognised phenomenon in solid organ and haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients on long-term voriconazole, this case highlights the importance of having a high index of suspicion in other settings including CAPA. Clinical presentation can be mistaken for bony metastatic disease or other inflammatory arthritis.

Idiopathic Spontaneous Occurrence of Heterotrophic Occurrence During Pregnancy

Heterotopic ossification (HO) typically presents in the hip, knee, and elbow joints in the setting of trauma or postsurgical intervention. Less commonly, it may occur secondary to neurologic dysfunction or underlying genetic conditions, but idiopathic HO is rare. Most cases of HO are managed nonoperatively with surgical resection remaining a controversy due to high recurrence rates. We describe a case of idiopathic HO of the shoulder that occurred in the absence of trauma, neurologic dysfunction, or underlying genetic disorder that was treated with surgical excision.

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.

Spectrum of Voriconazole-Induced Periostitis With Review of the Differential Diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

Voriconazole is an antifungal medication used primarily for the treatment of Candida and Aspergillus infections. A fairly newly described side effect of long-term voriconazole use is periostitis. The purpose of this article is to describe the main differential consideration-hypertrophic osteoarthropathy-and other differential diagnoses, including venous stasis, thyroid acropachy, and hypervitaminosis A.

CONCLUSION

With knowledge of imaging appearance, clinical manifestations, and outcomes, radiologists can make an accurate diagnosis of voriconazole-induced periostitis, and clinical teams can initiate appropriate management.

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-related periostitis presenting on magnetic resonance imaging

Painful periostitis is a complication of long-term antifungal therapy with voriconazole. A high clinical suspicion coupled with imaging and laboratory assessment is useful to establish the diagnosis. Prompt discontinuance of voriconazole typically results in the resolution of symptoms and signs. This report describes the presentation of voriconazole-related periostitis on magnetic resonance imaging.