Topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment in the treatment of localized scleroderma. An open label clinical and histological study.
Primary Author: Christina Stefanaki
Primary Author: Dermatology Department, University of Athens, School of Medicine, "Andreas Sygros" Hospital for Skin Diseases, Athens, Greece.
Date Published: 2009 01 05
Abstract: Localized scleroderma or morphea, although a self-limited and benign disease, may leave substantial physical and cosmetic deformity necessitating treatment but treatment remains to date unsatisfactory. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical tacrolimus ointment in the treatment of morphea. Thirteen patients with morphea used tacrolimus 0.1% cream b.i.d. without occlusion for 4 months. Patients were followed up for up to a year. A 4-mm biopsy was taken before starting treatment in seven patients and 4 months after continuous use of tacrolimus 0.1% ointment, next to the previous biopsy site. Masson trichrome and elastica stains were performed to evaluate the distribution of elastic fibers as well as the streptavidin-biotin horseradish peroxide immunohistochemical method for the detection of CD20/L-26, CD3, CD8, CD4, CD1a, human leukocyte antigen-DR and CD25. Four patients had a less than 25% improvement, two patients responded by 50-70% and the remaining seven by more than 70%. Patients with thick, well-established lesions responded poorly in comparison to others with less thick and more erythematous ones. Patients with mild-to-moderate fibrosis histologically were more likely to improve after treatment, while the lymphocytic infiltrate decreased regardless of initial degree before treatment. It was concluded that topical tacrolimus 0.1% cream may be used in patients with morphea, particularly with early inflammatory lesions, even as a first-line treatment.

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in a patient with scleroderma.
Primary Author: Ambar Khaira
Primary Author: Department of Nephrology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India. ambarkhaira@gmail.com.
Date Published: 2008 12 29
Abstract: Abstract not available

Common Types of Arthritis

Ankylosing Spondylitis
Behçet's Disease
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Childhood Arthritis
Chronic Back Injury
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis(DISH)
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)
Felty's Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Gout
Infectious Arthritis
Lupus
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
Lyme Disease
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Paget's Disease
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis
Pseudogout
Psoriatic Arthritis
Raynaud's Phenomenon
Reactive Arthritis
Repetitive Stress Injury
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Scleroderma
Sjögren's Syndrome
Still's Disease
Wegener's granulomatosis