Sulfasalazine-induced Pancytopenia Indicating Bone Marrow Suppression: A Rare Pediatric Case Report from Pakistan

Abstract

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic condition in children. The treatment of JIA is mainly by drug therapy, which includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Sulfasalazine is a DMARD that is used as the second-line of therapy. Although believed to have an effective and safe profile, it has side effects ranging from mild gastrointestinal discomfort to hematopoietic alterations. In this study, we present a case of JIA with sulfasalazine-induced bone marrow suppression in a five-year-old child, which is rarely reported within the pediatric age group across the literature.