ABSTRACT
Eighty-four patients with severe psoriasis who required methotrexate (MTX) therapy have been reviewed. A total of 134 liver biopsies were performed. The lack of correlation between alcohol intake and the use of potential hepatotoxic drugs with pretreatment liver biopsies is noted. A review of 30 patients who had liver biopsies performed before and after MTX treatment showed no statistically significant difference between the histological grades before and after treatment. Nor was there any absolute correlation between the cumulative MTX doses and the histological changes of follow-up biopsies. In this group of patients, 15 (50%) developed fibrosis, which was severe in 2 patients, after 3,431 mg MTX average dose. Cirrhosis was observed in 3 patients (10%) after 1,667 mg MTX average dose. Follow-up liver biopsies are recommended for patients treated with MTX.
Subject(s)
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury , Methotrexate/adverse effects , Psoriasis/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Liver Cirrhosis/chemically induced , Liver Diseases/pathology , Male , Methotrexate/therapeutic use , Middle Aged , Psoriasis/pathologyABSTRACT
17 patients allergic to thimerosal, with no previous history of photosensitivity or piroxicam ingestion, 2 patients with piroxicam-induced photosensitivity, and 10 controls were patch or photopatch tested, with 1 or more of the following: thimerosal, thiosalicylic acid, irradiated and non-irradiated solutions of piroxicam alone, L-cysteine alone and piroxicam plus L-cysteine, and piroxicam in petrolatum., The results of the tests supported the hypothesis that there are cross-reactions between thiosalicylic acid and prioxicam, a photosensitizer. The mechanism of the cross-reactions may involve photoproducts of piroxicam and L-cysteine, as patients allergic to thiosalicylic acid, who have positive photopatch tests to piroxicam, also had positive patch tests to the irradiated solution of piroxicam plus L-cysteine.
Subject(s)
Photosensitivity Disorders/chemically induced , Piroxicam/adverse effects , Thimerosal/adverse effects , Adult , Benzoates/adverse effects , Benzoates/chemistry , Cross Reactions , Dermatitis, Contact/etiology , Drug Hypersensitivity/etiology , Female , Humans , Male , Patch Tests , Piroxicam/chemistry , Sulfhydryl Compounds , Thimerosal/chemistry , Ultraviolet RaysABSTRACT
Fifteen patients with clinical and histological features of Crosti's reticulosis are reviewed. Twelve patients had lesions on the upper back and these were the only ones in eight of them. The other ones had extradorsal lesions. The histological picture was always compatible with Crosti's reticulosis. All the patients were treated by superficial roentgen therapy (1,200-1,500 rads) with total regression of the lesions. Four patients were lost for follow up. One progressed to lymphocytic lymphoma and another to Hodgkin's disease. It is possible that Crosti's reticulosis is not an autonomous entity, but a localized stage of more than one lympho-histiocytic neoplasia.
