Breaking the storm: canakinumab as salvage therapy for refractory macrophage activation syndrome in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus-a case report

This case report investigates the efficacy of canakinumab as a salvage therapy for a 17-year-old female patient with refractory macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) secondary to pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). After failing multiple treatments, the patient experienced significant clinical improvement and stabilization following canakinumab administration, suggesting its potential as a viable option for patients with biologic-refractory cSLE-MAS. The authors call for further prospective studies to establish optimal treatment protocols for this condition.