Osteomyelitis occurring during infliximab treatment of severe psoriasis.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors, such as infliximab, decrease the body's inflammatory response and thus the body's reaction to infection. Given the immune-mediated processes in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, patients with these disorders may benefit from infliximab therapy but may also suffer from an increased risk of infection. We present the first case of osteomyelitis in a patient receiving infliximab therapy for severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Infliximab and its serious adverse effects are discussed, and other cases of osteomyelitis with infliximab use are also reviewed.