Cyclosporin: a therapy for allergic cutaneous vasculitis with multiple recurrences

Abstract

Cyclosporin (CyA) was used to treat 13 patients suffering from allergic cutaneous vasculitis (AVC) with multiple recurrences. CyA at a dose of 5 mg/kg was administered orally for the first 2 months. For the following 4 months, CyA at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg alone or in combination with prednisolone was used, depending on the clinical response. Clinical and laboratory examinations were performed once weekly throughout the study period. Seven patients remained in excellent condition under CyA (2.5 mg/kg) monotherapy. Three patients showed an excellent response to the combination of CyA (2.5 mg kg) and prednisolone (10 mg/24 h). Finally, in three patients the treatment was discontinued during the first month because the creatinine level increased by more than 30% of the initial value. This study shows that CyA alone or in combination with prednisolone is an effective treatment for ACV with multiple recurrences.

Key Words:

• Allergic cutaneous vasculitis
• Cyclosporin