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A case of severe actinic prurigo successfully treated with thalidomide
Author(s) -
Ng Jonathan CH,
Foley Peter A,
Crouch Rohan B,
Baker Christopher S
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-0960.2001.00513.x
Subject(s) - medicine , thalidomide , photodermatosis , prurigo , dermatology , surgery , immunology , xeroderma pigmentosum , dna , genetics , biology , multiple myeloma , dna damage
SUMMARY Actinic prurigo is an uncommon and usually persistent idiopathic photodermatosis with typical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) associations (HLA‐DR4, particularly subtypes DRB1*0407 and DRB1*0401). Although its mechanism of action is not clearly understood, thalidomide has been shown to be particularly efficacious in treating actinic prurigo, among other conditions. A 31‐year‐old Australian woman who had suffered actinic prurigo for most of her life was treated with two courses of thalidomide (50–100 mg nocte) over consecutive summers. Remission was observed after cessation of the second course of thalidomide and had continued 4 years later. Abnormalities in the cutaneous response to ultraviolet radiation at the time of diagnosis, detected by monochromator phototesting, reverted to normal following treatment.