Etanercept for the treatment of refractory pyoderma gangrenosum: a brief series

Background  Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare ulcerative inflammatory condition of unknown etiology. Therapy for PG involves local wound care along with topical and systemic anti‐inflammatory and other immunodulatory agents. Etanercept is one such immunomodulator with activity against the inflamma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of dermatology 2007-10, Vol.46 (10), p.1095-1099
Main Authors: Charles, Carlos A., Leon, Argentina, Banta, Meggan R., Kirsner, Robert S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Chronic Disease
Dermatology
Etanercept
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin G - adverse effects
Immunoglobulin G - therapeutic use
Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects
Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use
Injections, Subcutaneous
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pyoderma Gangrenosum - drug therapy
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor - therapeutic use
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects
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Summary:Background  Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare ulcerative inflammatory condition of unknown etiology. Therapy for PG involves local wound care along with topical and systemic anti‐inflammatory and other immunodulatory agents. Etanercept is one such immunomodulator with activity against the inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor. Objective  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of etanercept in the treatment of PG ulcers. Methods  A retrospective analysis was performed on seven patients with 11 refractory PG ulcers treated with subcutaneous injections of etanercept (25–50 mg twice weekly). Results  All seven patients with PG responded well to etanercept. Eight of the 11 ulcers (73%) completely healed with the mean time of (12.5 weeks), while the other three ulcers had marked reduction in size (within 8–18 weeks). Etanercept was well tolerated. No serious side‐effects were reported. Only one patient discontinued the drug secondary to side‐effects. Conclusion  Etanercept is an alternative treatment option for patients with refractory ulcers due to PG.
ISSN:0011-9059
1365-4632
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2007.03286.x