Inflammatory osteoarthritis which was precipitated by Arimidex and resolved with tamoxifen.

We report the case of a 51-year-old woman who presented with an inflammatory flare of osteoarthritis of the small joints of her hands occurring in a temporal relationship with the commencement of Arimidex, prescribed to reduce systemic oestrogen levels to treat breast cancer. Following the cessation of Arimidex and the initiation of tamoxifen, a specific oestrogen receptor antagonist, this flare resolved. It has long been observed that during the menopause, as oestrogen levels decline, many women develop osteoarthritis or experience progression of the disease.